Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was
by J.D. King
Summary: What if Robin/Avatar had woken up somewhere he never belonged? What if he had woken up in a dire future of despair (Lucina's) that was long lost and couldn't be saved? Can he conquer destiny once again, or will he heroically fall this time? One thing is certain; this is unlike anything he experienced before or will ever experience... (not a harem fic)
1. Prologue-Premonition

**_Prologue: Premonition_**

* * *

"This is it! Our _final_ battle," he told her determined.

"You seem anxious. I've never seen you like this," She responded to him surprised. It was true. They had been through a lot together, and in that time he never expressed any sign of nervousness. He was always calm, smooth, collective, and ready for battle. This time he looked different, as if something was troubling him.

"It's because everything has led up to this moment. Everything we've done, all our hard work, and our struggles. They are what got us right here, right now," Robin said with a serious tone. "I can't afford any more losses. Much like I can't stand losing you."

She smiled. "We've faced so many things together, so I think you should know by now that I can watch my back. Right?"

"Yes, I know. It's just that, I would never forgive myself if something happened to you tonight." He looked straight in her beautiful eyes. In those two pools he saw his own reflection, and the best out of himself.

"Neither would I, if anything happened to you. Do you remember the plan?" She asked him seriously.

"Of course. I created it after all."

"Right, and this is like _the_ _Valley_. Risen had us surrounded, we were outnumbered and alone." She pointed to what she could see in front of them. It was getting dark, and there was no sun to light the way while Risen covered the land that expanded before them. They couldn't even see the grass beneath the zombie horde, only the dark gray sky and the burned trees were visible.

"No, _the Valley_ differs from now."

"How's that? I see no difference," she asked him curious.

"Ehmm… because of this." He pressed towards her, and she couldn't help but feel the adrenaline of her heart when he put his lips on hers. She felt so protected and joyful, because she had someone right by her side. Someone she knew that had stolen her heart and would do anything for her to smile. Her blood flowed rapidly in her cheeks, making them as red as ever. He put his hands around her waist and she put hers around his neck, pulling him closer.

"We should focus on our mission, we're about to start the battle. Did you forget that?" She told him in a slightly bossy tone while pushing him away, but she was unable to hide her excitement and her rosy cheeks.

"I did." He replied with a broad smile, like she hadn't yelled at him. "Although, when this is over, I have prepared a small surprise for you."

She nodded and asked, "Really? Then, shall we go ahead so I can see it later?"

"Yes. Tell the others to guide our forces towards the enemy. We must focus on entering the castle. It's your job to tell us how to get in, and with our new weaponry, we have a chance of winning."

"I know. Tonight, we will write a new future for Ylisse."

"Together." He told her confidently and held her hand.

* * *

And so the battle began. The zombie fighters rushed at them with a vicious aura. They couldn't listen or feel. They could only see their enemy in front of their eyes. That was their mission, to kill with no remorse of their actions. That was why the fell dragon was so powerful. Although he had great power himself, his army was the one that terrorised the countless cities it found in its path. Did that mean they were better than humans? Of course not. Although their enhanced battle abilities and skills were something to notice, they lacked human's skills like improvising, insight and the two most important ones, compassion and supportiveness for each other. Those skills, unheard to Risen, made the remains of humanity gather and forge a team with one goal in mind, the fall of the fell dragon, once and for all.

In this battle, that dream was about to become real after all those years of pain and slaughter. It was the time for the sun to rise, and for the long period of peace to begin. The man, followed by his beloved one, found a path that guided them and their selected forces inside Ylisstol's castle. The building was the key for them to open the door to a bright new world. At least, that was what they thought as he looked around the room. They had just gotten in, but he told them to stay alert for anything.

"What is it? You looked troubled," she asked him worried.

"I don't know. This is way too easy. It was never _that_ easy," Robin responded concerned.

Right then, they heard a huge noise from outside. The man quickly turned around to see what was going on. Unfortunately, in that moment their forces were surrounded by Risen. He couldn't understand what was going on, but before he could even think, he was knocked out from behind. The last thing he remembered before closing his eyes was his beloved one and the feeling of extreme disappointment. He had failed her, something he swore never to do.

* * *

He awoke disoriented and confused when he slowly opened his eyes. He tried looking around to get his bearings and unconsciously moved his hand only to find that it was tied tight to a metallic chair. With a quick look around the room, he saw nothing but a dim light from a candle nearby. At once, he tried to think of ways to get out of this condition. Alas, the metallic chair was bolted to the ground so he couldn't break it. His hands and legs were also tied with a plastic-like cord making it impossible to move. Not to mention that he seemed very weak. Unable to find an idea to escape, he waited there looking towards the candle's light, and smelling its wax scent. All he could do now was worry about his friends and his love, about their failure, and about the person who betrayed them.

Suddenly, he heard noises of footsteps. Then, the sound of a door cringing open. Before he knew it, a man appeared before him, holding another candle and a knife.

"Thank goodness! Hurry! Cut the ropes and let's save our men! Hope isn't lost yet!"

The man in front of him laughed sarcastically. "Your plan failed tactician. We've been holding you here for a while now. The battle was lost before it started, and there is nothing you can do anymore."

"What?… We? It was YOU! You hit me from behind! You… Traitor! How could you? We trusted you! I trusted you!" He tried to move in a fury but he couldn't.

"I am definitely going to enjoy this. You are alive because I ordered them not to kill you. You know, for old times' sake, but I came here with a deal. You will tell us where you are keeping it. You kept that secret for yourself and-"

"Don't speak her name!" He cried furiously as his face reddened in anger. Robin moved his body with rage to escape, only to be stopped a third time by his ties.

"Haha! I won't. I was so close, but so far away. You lied about its place. It wasn't where I thought it was. Tell me where the real one is and I will grant you a place right next to lord Grima."

"I prefer to die before I help you! Snake!" He spat at his face using the only way to attack he could think of. However, the man wiped it away from his eye and continued like nothing had happened.

"Don't worry I am not in hurry. I have all the time I need. I finally defeated you! Could I ask for more?"

"Arrrgggghhh!" It was a female scream. One he recognised immediately.

"NO! What are you doing to her? You crazy psychopath! Tell me, damn it!"

"You will tell me where you hid it! Or she will die. I will slaughter her in front of you, but if you comply then I will let you keep her head! Haha!" The man laughed evilly. "Now, _tell_ me where you hid it!"

Robin was lost in thought. He had no other choice but to comply.

"Tell me Sir Robin. How did everything begin? Tell me everything you know or she will suffer."

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Prologue-Premonition_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello everybody :) This story was based on my idea of how awful was Lucina's future. She was talking about true grief and pain and I wanted to explore that world with the best way I could do. But that future couldn't be saved. Can Robin intervention change that? Be assured that this isn't a happy and predictable story :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended.

Until next time! Please have yourselves a good one :D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. _


	2. Chapter 1: Rebirth

**Rebirth**

* * *

"Tell me Sir Robin. How did everything begin? Tell me everything you know or she will suffer."

"Aaaarrrghhh!" Robin heard her screaming again. The painful cry hurt his soul to the core as he lowered his head in agony.

"Stop! I will comply… I will comply… I want to see that she's alive. That's the only thing I ask for," Robin pleaded him. However, the man stood in front of him unmoved. He then raised his hand and slapped Robin across his left cheek. It left a sharp sting and a burning red mark which Robin tried not cry out from. He would not give his tormentor the satisfaction of seeing him in pain.

"Why are you doing this? Why don't you just kill me?" He yelled in dismay.

In turn, his opponent laughed evilly, "I am not a torturer of your body, but of your soul. You will tell me what I want otherwise she dies. And when you finish, I will let you die, peacefully. But until then you're mine. So I'll give you one last chance to tell me or else she will suffer even more."

Robin looked around his surroundings one last time. He saw the dark foreboding room with nothing but a candle to dimly illuminate the face of his tormentor, and felt the tight binds across his wrists cut into his skin.

"Okay but you already know some," he said weakly.

"I am all ears," he told Robin.

Robin sighed in dismay and said, "Okay… Here it goes..."

* * *

"Lucina! We've arrived too late. The village is destroyed, and it's burned to ashes." He said in horror as he looked in front of him. He saw hundreds of corpses spread around him with some of them badly disfigured. Houses were on fire, and he could feel the violent heat rush across his face. Even worse, the sky was getting darker from the smoke and death that surrounded them.

"No… It's entirely my fault. These people were innocent. Why? Gods, why?" she asked him, not able to understand what she saw.

"Don't blame yourself. We did everything we could. Sometimes it's just not written."

"Maybe. Maybe it isn't." She said in doubt before focusing on her duties. "Order the others to head back to our base. Gerome, what are we going to do with the bodies? They deserve an honest burial," she responded, sorrowfully.

"Of course. They deserve it. They've been through a lot." He said soberly as they continued their actions. Time was always short, but they spared some to execute a small ritual to respect their last deeds. Eventually, Gerome ordered Minerva to breathe fire at the bodies as way of cremation. After a while, they had brought the last man they could find, and this time it was a man wearing an odd robe. His face was filled with scars and his clothing was covered in blood, but Minerva refused to do anything once the wyvern recognized the face of a long and distant ally.

"Minerva! What's wrong?" He asked and headed towards his dragon as she reeled back, unwilling to harm him. Gerome tried spreading his arms and moved his head closer to her ears. He felt her scars and her rough dragon skin, but he quickly moved back and shook his head in surprise when she responded to him.

"No way!" He cried in shock. "Lucina! This man is still alive!"

"Finally! Good news at last! Quick! Bring me the elixir!" She ordered him with some small hope returning. The masked man then rushed and opened a bag, which was tightly bound at his dragon's saddle. He reached his hand inside and picked a bright blue bottle, and without delay he opened it and gave it to his leader. She then fell on her knees and with her right arm she raised the man's head. With the other, she filled his mouth with the potion.

"Now, we wait for it to do its job." Lucina told him hoping they would not lose another to this war. Every life was precious to her. "Inform the others and tell them to bring a Pegasus and fast! I'll stay here to make sure he survives. Leave me your first aid bag, just in case."

"I won't leave you here! It's too dangerous. You're far more important than a mere villager," he responded, obviously mad at her words. She was their last hope, and she recklessly put herself in danger to help others.

"This is an order Gerome. Risen never return to their crime scene. We both know that. Now go!" She yelled.

"This is a bad idea! Darn it!" He told in his frustration. With a quick move he untied the bag from his dragon and threw it at her. He then got on his dragon and gently gave a signal for her to fly.

"I hope they come back fast Gerome." She said with her arm holding the man up while she took the man's hood off. He saw his face covered in blood, and she hurriedly took the washcloth from the bag. She wiped his face with care, and while she was cleaning his wounds, she poured vulnerary at his scars. She untied the knot that was holding his robe and carefully took it off from him to reveal his shirt. She took his shirt off too revealing, this time, his large wound.

"He's seriously injured. Damn it. He won't make it." She worried while trying to find a way to save him. "If only I had something to make it stop bleeding…" She used her vulnerary again to clear the wound and protect it from a possible deadly infection. Then, she rapidly looked around as she desperately searched for something to help. Discovering a branch nearby, she picked it up and used one of the houses to set it on fire. Next, she took her cape off and wrapped the branch's burning edge with it. With slow movements, she cauterized the wound while being careful not to burn too much of his untouched skin. Praying that it worked, she poured the remaining elixir in his mouth and waited.

"That was the best I could do. Sorry, I am not like my mother," she said, while holding the man tight. Much to her surprise the man started to move his head slowly. With the same pace, he opened his eyes and saw her beautiful face. He tried to move, but it caused him nothing more than pain.

"Are you an angel?" He said with the last of his strength. His words caused her to tilt her eyebrows in confusion.

"What?" She replied. "No, you are mistaken. You are still here with us."

"What? Am I not dead?" He asked surprised, "I apologize then. I must admit you pretty much look like one."

"You are talking like you've already seen one."

"I do _now_." He responded serenely.

"Huh…" She murmured confused. "So that must explain why…" She said in a sarcastic tone.

"That must explain what?"

"That explains _why_ they tried to kill you. Because of your ridiculous humour," Lucina while fighting back tears as she realized that the man would live. She was able to save someone, and it was a welcome relief from burying the dead.

He didn't speak, and he only moved his eyes around to get a glimpse of his surroundings. He saw the first aid-kit, the potions, the hot branch and the fire. He understood what was going on. "I apologise for my manners. Do you know what happened here, because I have absolutely no idea?"

"You don't know? But you were here…"

"I am sorry, but I have no memories of what happened," he replied.

"Can you at least remember your name?"

"Unfortunately, no. No, I can't." he shrugged

_Whooosshh..._ The sound of a pegasus' wings flapping against the air came from behind them. Lucina recognised the sound immediately and said, "Finally, there are here. Come on! Let's get you back on your feet?"

"Where are we going?" The man asked.

"To take care of you."

"... How can I trust you?" He questioned in a serious way.

"You're right. You can't! But I have no problem leaving you here in the middle of nowhere, alone and injured. It was nice healing your wounds, scars and stopping your bleeding. I hope we meet again sometime!"

"And you told me that I had a creepy sense of humour." He muttered lowly. "Gah… My whole body is in pain, but I'll see what I can so. Let's get going," He told her as she helped him get up.

Meanwhile, a young lady approached them and Lucina shouted to her, "Cynthia! Come here! This man needs help!"

"Right! Hold on, I'm coming!" The young lady said and rushed to them. She held the man from his right side, while Lucina from his left. Step by step, they reached the white Pegasus. The man was quickly getting back on his feet. It looked like Lucina's treatment had worked. With a little more help, the man got on the Pegasus. The two girls followed.

"Now, hold on really tight! We're about to take off," Cynthia told him.

"Where are we going again?" he asked, bewildered.

"As I said to take care of you. Let's go Cynthia!" Lucina urged.

"Right! Here we go! Come on Sumia!" She said and gently spurred the Pegasus, urging it onward. The animal, much like Minerva did, obeyed its master and spread its white wings while it started running forward. The man lowered his body so he wouldn't suddenly fall off. Then the Pegasus, once it had reached the necessary speed, jumped. With the help of its wings it moved higher and higher.

"Thank you... Lucina!" The man told her in a reluctant tone.

"Wait! How do you know my name? You said you had your memories wiped out!" She asked him curious, but also a little furious for potentially lying to her.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 1: Rebirth_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** So, after hearing your opinions I've decided to name the avatar Robin, and I've also added his name to the previous chapter.

No copyright intended. Thank you for your support so far :)

Until next time, please have yourselves a damn good one ;D

* * *

_J. D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. __  
_


	3. Chapter 1: Rebirth (II)

**Rebirth (II)**

* * *

"Wait! How do you know my name? You said you had your memories wiped out!" She asked him curiously, but also slightly furious for potentially lying to her.

"Ehm… Would you believe me if I told you that I don't know how? It just struck my mind," he said, wondering the same thing.

"I see, do you remember anything at all from your past?"

"Unfortunately no… I'm sorry," He responded and suddenly felt a sharp pain. It was hard to describe because it made it difficult to hear, and it felt like his ears were about to burst.

"Hey! You don't need to apologize! We'll help you! Once we reach our destination we will get this all sorted out!" Cynthia added cheerfully.

Robin took some comfort in those words, but the pain he was feeling grew worse and he groaned out to say, "Gah… now my ears are hurting me… What's going on?"

"It's nothing! We went very high in the air in a short amount of time, which means your ears are adjusting to the change in air pressure. But don't worry, you'll get used to it like us," Cynthia reassured him.

"Where in the world are we going anyways?" He sighed still somewhat disoriented. Cynthia giggled, but Lucina remained silent and calm.

After a while, the Pegasus started to lower its altitude, and Robin realized that they were approaching the ground. This scared him a bit, as he couldn't remember the last time he flew in the air, if ever, and the thought of crashing was something that seriously concerned him. In reality a minute had passed, but for him the landing felt like a century. While they were descending, he unconsciously grabbed Cynthia from her waist and instinctively tried to find some comfort.

"Argh…" Cynthia eyes widened as it felt like her stomach was being crushed. "Stranger… You're squeezing me too tight. I think my armor will break if this keeps up" She told him while struggling to breathe. Immediately, he realized they had reached the ground, and for no particular reason, he was embarrassing himself.

"Sorry… again… It's not that I feared we would crash or something… Definitely not that!" He tried to defend himself, but even he realized how silly he seemed. "Yikes… How many times will I apologize today?"

"I hope this will be the last one. Come, it's about time we reach our destination," Lucina told him stoically. She then got down off the animal and helped him off the saddle as well. Back on solid ground, Robin examined his surroundings with a quick glimpse and found that they landed in the middle of a forest. Trees with huge trunks besieged them in every direction with thick firs. He also figured that they should be in, or probably close to, a mountain or somewhere with high altitude.

Although, he found it hard to breathe as there was not enough oxygen for his lungs, and his blood was pumping faster to accommodate for the lack of air. This made his wounds act up again, while the bracing cold did not help either. He moved his arms close to his belly in order to retain his body temperature and quickly tried to calm himself down hoping the pain would subside.

"I'll guide Sumia to the shed and prepare her dinner. You two go in the house. I'll catch up with you later," Cynthia said with a smile. She held her animal's reins and walked together to reach the shed, parting ways with them. Robin then turned his head, so he was face to face with Lucina.

"She never stops smiling, does she?" He asked amazed at how anyone could be always so cheerful.

"She's the only one. Rarely everybody else does. How could we? We live the same nightmare every day, but enough with the chatter. Let's get going. We're late already."

"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand. Are things really that bad?"

"We will explain in time." She replied somberly.

He paused and thought it over, "So, you're saying that you have a house in the middle of nowhere?"

"We've learned to hide better than anything. It's the first rule to survive."

"Survive," he murmured. Judging from her expression, she looked serious, and he thought that it was better for him not to speak about it while she led him to their home. Surprisingly, it appeared that their shelter was close to them. At least, less than a few meters away was a small pond. Once they were there, exactly opposite to them, there was a huge rock. Leaves and branches covered the top of it, but the middle of it was carved. From what he could see, it was a symbol, a square with a cross inside it. He didn't pay much attention, and he didn't want to ask any more stupid questions like, 'Was this their hideout?'

They quietly walked the perimeter of the pond and stood in front of the rock where Lucina unsheathed her Falchion. It reflected the remains of the sun's rays as it was setting and she carved another square right next to the previous one.

"Let's head back, now," she told him. He nodded, without wanting to say anything, and she glanced back at him surprised at his change in behavior. "Why aren't you talking? I thought you were the chatty type." She said thinking that he was like her cousin.

"I don't know. I believe it's my natural reaction when I'm around new people who I haven't met before. Did you like that type of me?" Robin responded curious.

"No… Gods no…" She said immediately. He frowned in response, but remained calm as they continued moving forward. Suddenly, they heard chirping, and Lucina tried to figure out which bird made that sound, because she couldn't remember it. However, the bird in question came fluttering into view and she saw the two legged creature land on a tree branch next to them. Its feathers were grey while its fuzzy belly was a reddish-orange.

"Look! There's a robin!" The stoic and careful girl suddenly cried in excitement. "They are very rare to see in these places. In fact, I can't remember the last time I saw one of them here. The last time was with… father…" She said lowering her head and returning to her former guarded self.

"That's it! That's my name!" Robin said happily. "My name is Robin! I know it!" Unfortunately, his voice scared the bird away, but it had already served its purpose.

Lucina however, was too preoccupied with a horrid memory to recognize the missing bird or recovered name.

"Hey are you ok? You look pale," he asked worried.

"Yes. Let's just get going." She said somberly and looked inside the pond. It was reflecting her face, and it looked so dark and sad. Trying not to think about it, she raised her Falchion in the air and the pond bubbled in response. A bright green mist started approaching them, and the mist grew bigger and thicker with time. Robin couldn't even see past his nose, and the only thing he could make out was a small light.

"Lucina! Where are you? What's going on?" He said alarmed. The mist grew so big that he couldn't even breathe right. "Lucina!" He cried afraid. He started coughing without realizing it, and his eyes closed as he felt an extreme need to rest. Now he couldn't see anything but darkness.

* * *

"He's waking up! Stay back everyone!" Robin slowly opened his eyes. Surprisingly enough, he found himself lying in a soft bed. He didn't know what was scarier; that he was in an unknown place all-alone, after a quite weird incident, or that a lot of strangers surrounded him and acted like they had never seen a human before.

"Lucina!" He cried as he woke up in a hurry, but she was nowhere to be found. The room was as plain as it could get. It had a bed, a table, a small window and, a lot of people. It was starting to get dark, so the only light that the room saw was from the many candles.

"Everyone! He's walking up! I repeat he's walking up!" The young girl said with joy while another woman approached the crowd.

"Are you all daft? What's going on?" She asked.

"Lucina found a survivor and he's waking up! It felt like ages! Won't you greet him?" She told her.

Robin couldn't do anything but admire the woman's looks. She was quite tall, with long scarlet red hair. She had two pigtails. She wore a yellow vest and a dark brown tunic, and he tried to get up closer in order to greet her properly. With a quick movement he was standing in front of her and the others. He had completely forgotten everything that he'd been through, his scars and pain, and instead focused on his new situation. The only thing that mattered right now to him was getting some words out of his mouth.

"Um, hello everyone. I am Robin. Your friend Lucina found me in a destroyed village wounded and injured. I would have died without her, but she didn't stop there, as she brought me here as well. I would like to thank you for accepting me here…-" but before he could finish his words the woman laughed mockingly.

"Is this a joke? You should have left him in the village. Who told you we accepted you? Don't make me laugh. Nobody here trusts you and we'll never will. Lucina told us about you. I don't know why everyone here is so excited, but until you pass the "test" don't expect me to even look at you. Humph!" She huffed and turned her back at him while she left the room without any care for the wounded man.

"Wow…" He was speechless.

"It appears you met Severa!" He heard a familiar voice.

"Lucina!" He said relieved to see her. "I don't get it. What's all this about?"

"Look. I don't know what or who you remember, but right now we're at war against the dragon lord Grima and his Risen forces. He was the one responsible for the village destruction. It was our job not to let that happen, but we arrived too late." She lowered her head with regret. "It's a miracle that you're even alive, because everyday those fiends cut down people without mercy or mistake. That's why it is so surprising to find a survivor, and we produced the green mist to put you to sleep so you wouldn't know where our hideout was. It seems suspicious that they neglected you and it is possible that this could all be a trap. So for now, you will need to pass a test to prove your sincerity. If you do, you will earn our full trust. If you fail, I am afraid we'll part ways."

"By 'part ways' you mean that you will put me to sleep forever?" He grimaced.

"Yes." She replied coldly. She hated to say that, but she had to protect her friends and her mission above all else. "But don't worry, for unknown reasons a lot of the guys here seem to like you already and I have a feeling you'll pass too. Now rest a bit, I'll tell Severa to bring you some food. I also recommend you save your strength because tomorrow will be a long one." She then turned to her companions and said, "So let's give this man some space."

"Okay." the young girl nodded and said, "Bye Robin and I hope you pass!"

He hoped the same, but as she was about to leave he asked "Hey! Before you go, would you let me know your name?"

"Nah" She said with a smile and left, causing the men on the room to laugh secretly.

"What?" Robin replied not understanding why she refused to give her name. Was it another way of hiding their identity? Soon enough, the room was clear, and he saw outside of the window. The moon started glowing, and he rested in the bed again. Looking at the candles around him and noticing the dark sensation that filled his stomach, he resigned to resting in the dimly lit room. As his eyes came to a close, his mind filled with one final thought. "Here we go…

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 1: Rebirth_**  
**

* * *

**A/N (Authors Note):** There you have it! Chapter 1 (II) as promised!

Clarifications

[1]: Most of the future children will have their specific parent's hair color in order to avoid answering the question: Who's the father/mother?

I would like to thank you for your extremely great support! The views skyrocketed with the previous chapter. Be sure to tell me if you like seeing the chapters this small and frequent (2-3 days) or big (like 2-3 together) and inconstant (7-10 days). The decision is all yours.

Be sure to leave a review and tell me what you think of the story!

No copyright intended.

Until next time, please have yourselves a damn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. __  
_


	4. Chapter 2: Loyalty

**Loyalty**

* * *

"Radiant DAWN!" The vibrant man cried. He held his sword tight, then raised his hand and proceeded to throw it at his opponent. Robin, who was caught off guard was unable to react in time as the sword crashed into his chest with the edge cutting through his clothing. The hit was strong enough to knock him down, and the man shook his head in disappointment, "Dead. Thank goodness we are using wooden swords. If you want to pass the test you will have to try harder." The colorful swordsman offered his hand to help Robin back up and said, "Come on, let's try again. I see that you have some potential."

"They might be made from wood, but they still hurt." Robin told him as he felt the numbness return from all of his bruises.

"Don't worry, eventually the pain dulls away." The blue haired princess commented as she walked into the room. It wasn't anything special, but a square room large enough to fit a battle arena with windows on each side along with weapon racks to hold their equipment. "How's he doing?" She asked as she glanced back to Owain.

"Lucina! Right on time. He got up early at the dawn just like us. So I followed your orders and until now we've been training. He isn't ready for the test, but just give me some time for one last fight. Don't worry, I'll inform you when he's ready."

"Good, thank you for training him Owain, but please hurry, we have no time to waste." She said and turned her back to leave the training room.

"There she went, completely ignoring me." Robin thought as he sighed. Owain also saw Robin's action and broke his silence.

"You know if you fail you're going to die, right? If you keep thinking about irrelevant things that would distract you from battle then it will be your own undoing. So come on now! You hold a negative record of 5 wins and 11 loses. Clear your mind and defeat me. Damn it! Just when I thought you were the one I was searching for." Owain tried to inspire his apprentice.

"Searching for what?" Robin asked in wonder.

"A sidekick of course. Grima may have killed our people, but he can't kill our dreams. Once this is over, my dream is to be part of the legends like those that fought before me. The legendary Owain and his sidekick Robin!" He cried fondly and with some pride at the thought. "You know, like the tales I heard when I was a young toddler." He smiled eager to become the next great legend.

"Well, I'll glad to help you, but we should discuss about that sidekick part." Robin grinned back as he felt the man's enthusiasm. "Although you can relax, I'll do everything I can to pass."

"Great to hear! I've bet my last two dessert rations on you. I don't want to lose them."

"What? Then I have no choice but to attack! Hi-ah!" Robin shouted and charged with his sword. He was aiming directly for his opponent's head, but Owain blocked the hit with his blade.

"You'll have it! Sacred STONES!" Owain yelled ferociously. The swordsman then jumped and spun in midair. Robin watched curiously as his opponent appeared to be dancing in the arena instead of fighting. "What is he doing? This is the first time he's tried something like this." He questioned as he tried to assess the situation. "I know! He's trying to make me lose focus! Like earlier when… she got in. So I have to focus!" He quickly thought.

"Clear MIND!" Robin yelled and attacked him again, this time aiming at his knees. Owain blocked it with his sword in a quick move and waited while Robin's eyes and his locked. They were waiting for their respective opponent's next move as a bitter silence fell across the room. Owain would be the one to make the first move in an attempt to surprise Robin, and he pressed his foot on the ground implying that he was aiming to attack him from the left. However, in a blink of an eye, he moved his body and changed direction to hit him from the right. While Robin couldn't predict the change, he instinctively spun to dodge the hit, and sent his wooden blade crashing at Owain's back.

"Gah!" he yelped back in pain, but smiled back with delight. "Bravo! That's 6-11. I still win, but that move you did was great. Just clear you mind and everything will be okay. Now, wait here," Owain order and proceeded to leave the room to let Lucina know he was ready for the test. This left Robin alone once again, and he looked around gazing at some weapons to pass the time, until he found something that really surprised him. There was a transparent case made from glass with a lance inside of it. From the outside it had a label:

_"My Shell Lance. A weapon to remember my love. –Cordelia"_

He wondered what was so unique with that weapon, apart from its obvious sea jewels. Strangely, it looked like it was greatly forged, although he had a feeling it was handmade. But it didn't seem to have been used in a battle before either. It was unscathed, and without rust or blemish. Robin then observed that the weapon itself had something written on it. So he tilted his head to try to see what it said.

"Robin!" He stopped and turned to see it was the young girl from yesterday.

"Hey! I remember you! Why didn't you tell me your name when I asked you?" His words made her cover her eyes with her hand in annoyance. She got closer to him and said. "Augh, this happens every time! My name is in fact "Nah"! Yes. I have a silly name I know, but it came from someone who was special to me."

Robin started laughing, pretty hard actually, much to Nah's annoyance.

"Don't make me mad! I can eat you whole with one move! I'm a-" Robin had shook his hand to sign her to stop.

"Haha. I'm not laughing because of your name," He said while calming himself down.

"What? Your not?" She asked surprised.

"Of course not. That would be rude and hurt your feelings which is the last thing I want to do. I was laughing because you have a special name, but you don't actually know it."

"I don't see why it is special. Everyone always laughs when they hear it."

"It's their fault that they can't see its uniqueness. And it's double their fault that they hurt your feelings," Robin told her sincerely while she stared at him silently.

"Thanks, I never thought of it that way before." She lowered her head as she reflected on it. "I do hope you pass today, because it would be a shame to lose someone like you from what I've seen so far."

"I am not sure if I'll win if I don't know what to face, but I don't plan on dying if I can help it."

Suddenly they heard the sound of multiple footsteps coming from behind them.

"They're here." Nah realized that this would be the moment of truth. "Go and stand at the middle of the arena! Quick!" Robin did as she said and stood still wondering what he might face. Then a horde of people walked inside the room and Robin feared he might have to fight them all. "Here we go!" Robin thought and prepared his wooden sword. They surrounded the small arena, so every one of them could see him. Lucina was there too standing directly opposite of him. He took a deep breath to steady himself as he watched them, wondering whom his opponent might be, or if it was to be all of them. He shook his head in surprise when he saw a hairy man with huge muscles coming at him and he gulped knowing he was in for a challenge.

"Robin," he said. " understand that if you fail, you will... lose your life?"

"I do and I will accept your judgment. I would gladly follow the rules, even if that would cost me my life," Robin responded earnestly.

"Very well, I present you your o-opponent; one of our best soldiers, and a true warrior."

"Lady Severa!" Owain gestured letting her know it was time. She then entered the room and she was exactly the same as she was the day before. Still messing with Robin's head with her imposing way of walking and her harsh presence. The rest moved out-of-the-way for her to pass, and she entered the arena holding her katana. Robin bowed respectfully to greet his opponent, but she ignored him. He was sweating a little nervous, but remembered Owain's words: "Clear Mind"

"I must admit you were the last person I was expecting. Good luck," He wished her.

"Oh, please… I don't need luck. Prepare your weapon and let's finish this," She told him coldly. Robin unsheathed his wooden sword once again and took his battle stance.

"Are you daft? You will fight with this? Why do you think death is your penalty for losing? We'll use real swords. Give him a real one guys and let's finish this," She said, obviously irritated. Lucina then left her position and gave him a steel sword. He smiled at her, but she didn't respond. Severa then prepared her killing edge, and he saw the ferocity in her eyes which made him gulp.

"Let's do this!" Robin said passionately, not willing to be beat before the battle began.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 2: Loyalty_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Happy mother's day everyone! This will also be part 1 out of 2 with the second one coming tomorrow. That's why it ended up being a bit short. More details about the chapter will be in the next author's note. Please remember to tell me what you think so far! Thank you for your great support.

No copyright intended.

Until next time, please have yourselves a good one! ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. __  
_


	5. Chapter 2: Loyalty (II)

**Loyalty (II)**

* * *

He swung his new steel blade around as he shifted his battle stance. He had gotten used to his wooden sword, but this one was heavier and uncomfortable to use. He stared a bit at his opponent. He saw her relaxed, but a bit irritated at the same time by him. Her behavior intrigued him and he felt that she had a long kept secret buried deep inside her.

He remembered the lance he saw earlier and how it was entrusted to her. Maybe it was just a handmade one, but it meant a lot. That lance was the proof that someone loved her very much. Unfortunately for him, Severa was still the person that could end his life if he let his guard down. He didn't even know how she used her sword, or her fighting style. The only thing that he could do was predict and foresee her actions. He seemed to have an act for thinking of winning strategies in just a couple of seconds which might have carried over from his lost memories. He lost his train of thought wondering what his past might have been like, but then he heard her charging at him with a fury and had little choice but to react.

"Hi-ah!" She cried and rushed at him with her killing edge. Quickly, his heartbeat rose and adrenaline pumped through his body as he prepared himself. He felt the cold sweat in his forehead, and he took a deep breath to respond with a swing of his own. The sound of the two blades hitting one another rang through the room, and he saw her shaking her head furiously with more rage as she pushed her blade aside. She seemed surprised that he blocked her blow, and was expecting this to be over before it began.

"Perfect." He thought noticing the change in her. This gave him a small advantage as his opponent wouldn't have a _clear mind_. Or at least, that was what he hoped. Then, she came to him with a volley of fast moves, and faked an attack that caught Robin off guard while she used her left hand to throw a punch in his chest. Her strategy paid off and hit dead on his large wound. Unfair play? Maybe it was, but there are no rules other than to survive in this world. This instinct of survival was shown when she stroke him with her fist. Robin shouted and knelt down from the severe pain as he saw her blade at his neck. Blood was seeping through his reopened wound, and he looked heavily fatigued.

"First rule of fighting, have no weakness, and if you do, then don't show them. Second, have no remorse for your opponent," She said with a cold tone. They were heavy words, but they gave Robin a clue on what her next attack would be; a chop at his neck. She raised her sword and he knew it was coming. He rolled over and got up as quickly as he could. Fortunately enough, he was alive and still on his game. He observed her, and she was obviously aggravated about how he still had enough energy to act so quickly and was also caught off-guard. "Time to think. She is obviously good with the sword, but she must have a weak spot somewhere." He thought quickly.

He then attacked her this time, aiming at her lower body. She blocked the hit easily and responded with a swing aimed at his neck again. Although, he dodged the hit and responded with a sweeping leg kick. She never saw that one coming, as she was sure that her sword would find target with her previous move, and it had cost her dearly. Meanwhile, Robin already planned his next move and didn't let her recover. He immediately grabbed her from her biceps and shook them with a violent force so that her katana would fall to the ground. With her arms pinned and defeat looking inevitable, she instinctively hit his stomach with her head as strong as she could in a last ditched effort. However, this time he withstood the hit, and pushed her away while he kicked her weapon to the corner of the arena. To which Owain watched in both pride in awe at his apprentice.

"That's it. Say goodnight." Her words made Robin a bit confused. Although he had the upper hand she felt comfortable about the outcome. Was she just arrogant or she was about to show her secret technique that Robin was waiting for? Either way she rushed at him, while Robin did the same, thinking that what she was about to do was suicide. Then, once she had reached close to him she pressed her first foot on the ground, implying she was aiming to attack him from the right, but in a blink of an eye, she moved her body so she changed direction and tried to get past him from the left. Luckily, Robin saw this coming from miles away since Owain did the exact same thing earlier. So he grabbed her and they fell together on the ground. With him lying on top of her, staring at her pure hazel eyes. At the same time he held her arms tight, so she wouldn't do anything that could surprise him.

"Are we done here?" He asked, but didn't get a response. He felt that she was lost in her thought staring at him too. He felt weird, but in a _nice_ kind of weird. He then whispered to her as they both got up. "My first rule: Never be predictable."

She shook her head, revealing her annoyance and silently walked her way out of the room. He felt relieved knowing it was over and inhaled deeply. He then exhaled with great force as the fight felt like it had lasted for an hour. He heard clapping and saw Nah running at him. She jumped and hugged him.

"You earned me an extra desert ration and no chores for a week! Thanks!" She said happily knowing she had won her bet. Robin smiled and looked at the rest. He saw Lucina, but she didn't reveal any emotion. She just clapped, but he got the feeling that she was deeply lost in her thought too. He then saw Owain who nodded his head to him and winked which made Robin feel proud of himself. Suddenly, he sensed someone touching his shoulder from the back and he jumped in surprise.

"Stay still, wontcha?" He heard a rough voice call to him and felt his chest getting colder and colder, and in a couple of seconds his wound didn't cause him any more pain.

"Thanks…erm?"He scrunched his eyes not remembering being introduced to his helper.

"Brady! No prob. man. Anytime. You're one of us now," he told him.

"Phew, so now what?" He calmly asked as he looked back at the crowd.

"Now, you will come with me. Your exceptional fighting skills earned you your first mission. Come, I'll reveal you the details, we have no time," a man close to him said. He was wearing a large pointed hat.

"May I ask your name too?" He asked unsure.

"I am called Laurent. It is a pleasure to finally meet you. Now please come," he motioned to follow and Robin did. They walked out of the training room to the corridors and he noticed the building he was in seemed old, like an old castle or something. He tried to see outside of the windows, but all he could see were trees and that he was a lot higher than them. Finally, when they reached the room they were heading, Laurent opened the door and brought him into a large library. Every shelf was filled with stacks of books, and there was a desk in the front right corner with a window overlooking a bed.

"Did you write all these?" Robin asked amazed at the collection.

Laurent smiled and said, "No… well to be clear, not all of them. My mother wrote most of these books. She was a unique female and a great author. Now about your first mission, which starts right now. Lucina, Owain and you will be heading to rescue a family in the woods. Gerome told us that Risen hit the area and that we should hurry. Are you in?"

"Of course"

"Good. Then drink… where is it again?" He was searching for something; he rapidly moved his head around in an attempt to find it. "Ah, here we are." He said and showed him a small bottle.

"Let me guess… You'll put me to sleep again right?"

"Right."

He sighed and grabbed the potion. "What else can I do?" He then opened it and drank the liquid inside it. "Hmm… It didn't taste that ba-…" He immediately felt dizzy and fell on the ground unconscious.

* * *

When he opened his eyes and looked around, noticing he was in an environment closely resembling the one he was in yesterday. There were trees all around him and fresh air blowing at him.

"Sleep well, Robin?" Lucina asked him as she noticed him stir.

"Well… I can't say that I didn't," he said with a smile.

She nodded and said, "Then let's move. The house must be close and- " Her attention changed when she noticed the place she was looking for and cried out, "Look up there!"

The two other party members did and found a house resting on the apex of a hill.

Lucina then said, "We will need to split up. I will head to the house and you will stay here with Owain and fight any Risen that might show up," She ordered and started running in the woods without looking back. Once again Robin was left alone with the vibrant swordsman and he sighed to say, "There she goes again. It seems like I can barely say a few words to her before she runs off."

"She's a really nice person once you get to know her, but she's been through a lot," The swordsman frowned. "Let's take a look around and if everything is clear we'll follow her," he continued.

They quickly checked their surroundings. Everything seemed quiet and safe. Then, because they hadn't found any Risen, they were trying to catch up with her, but heard branches cracking.

"Wait, someone is here." Robin told him as he sensed another presence.

"Not someone, something," Owain corrected him. "Stay close. You haven't faced anything like this yet."

"Owain!" He shouted and pointed at a shadow coming at them. Instantly, a dark figure jumped in front of them with a spear in its hand. Robin didn't know what to make of it, because this creature's skin was a decayed darkish grey while its eyes were glowing bright red. Strangely enough, it had long brown hair and wore a yellow mask, but it had no armor so it showed its deep and menacing form.

_"Gwaaaa… Kill…"_ It yelled with its deep and haunting voice. Its presence alone gave Robin the creeps.

"This thing is over two meters high. How will we…?"

"Don't be afraid, just attack it!" He cried and unsheathed his sword. "Oh! Legendary Mysteltainn lend me your power!" He continued and rushed at the monster. He pushed his blade inside the creature's chest and dark purple ashes started to emit from it. Unfortunately, Owain's blade was stuck inside the monster's belly, and he was unable to get it out.

"Owain! Watch out!" Robin screamed.

Unfortunately, it was too late for Owain by the time he recovered his sword. The monster spread its arm and delivered a huge blow which sent him flying over ten meters away leaving him unconscious on the ground. Now Robin was alone with only his steel sword to keep him company. He was afraid, of course, who wouldn't be? But he tried to diminish these feelings by taking a deep breath and examining his opponent. "Hmmm… stabbing it didn't work, but what about decapitating it?" He thought, while trying to remain clam.

With slow, but large movements the walking beast was getting closer and closer. However, undeterred, Robin charged forward and when he reached a close distance of two with three meters away he started to run circles around it. The zombie fighter was confused at this tactic, and it looked around and around just to get a glimpse of its opponent, only to fail every time.

Robin was moving really fast. "This is my opening," he thought. Then, he jumped at the back of the monster and with all his strength he swung his blade high enough to slice its neck and sever its head. Immediately, the red glow of its eyes stopped and the body of the zombie fell apart, turning to deep purple ashes. Robin filled with joy for his small accomplishment. Then, he rushed to check on his friend to see how bad he was. When he reached him, Owain's head was bleeding and he might have a concussion. Suddenly, he heard a woman's scream in great pain. "Aauuuughhh!"

"It's Lucina!" Owain yelled afraid. "They got her. Gods. They got her."

"What?! No that can't be!" Robin yelled not willing to believe it. "Maybe there is still time, maybe we can save her!"

"No, It's too late. Too late. Run for your life. Leave this place or you will fall too!" Owain cried before losing his consciousness in front of Robin's eyes.

"No I, I can't abandon her. " Robin shouted back. "Hang on Owain, I'll get help for you too, but Lucina is in more danger." Without any more thought, he started running with all of his might at the same direction Lucina had gone and he passed through trees and bushes at full speed like nothing was going to stop him. He was determined to save her, at any cost to himself. Then, the house appeared in his horizon, and it was plain without many features.

"There it is. Lucy… Stay strong. I'm coming!" He cried and rushed forward to reach the front door only to find it was locked. So he kicked the door with all of his might and broke the lock apart with one strong blow. He then jumped inside holding his steel blade tightly, and to his surprise found that no one else was inside the building. There was no sign of any life, and Robin feared the worst.

"Lucina!" He shouted at the top of his lungs desperately trying to find her. "Gods, please don't let me be too late."

He frantically began looking around in a desperate attempt to find her. "LUCINA!" He shouted again, praying that she was still alive to respond back. He had to save her, he had to. She had already saved his life once, and he owed her so much for it. "I have to find her, and I have to make those damn things pay. Quick Robin, think. They had to have dragged her somewhere. Maybe if I can-"

At that time something happened that instantly left Robin in a state of loss. He saw Nah, Brady, the hairy guy with the long ears, Laurent and others he had yet to meet all approach him from a concealed door at the back of the house. He didn't understand what was going on, so without thinking, Robin yelled at them that Lucina needed their help, but stopped when he felt a touch on his shoulder from the back.

"Congratulations Robin. You just passed the true test. You're a Shepherd now," Lucina gave him a warm smile as he turned around. He was greatly relieved to see that she was okay, and unbeknownst to him, her smile made him blush.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 2: Loyalty_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** There it is! Like I promised! Phew…

So what you thought about that small twist? Judging from the title, Lucina didn't test Robin's skills as a fighter, but his "Loyalty" to a cause and her. And he succeeded. He didn't let her "die". He didn't run like a dog to save himself like a coward. He rushed to help her, even if that would cost him his life. This meant "loyalty" to friendship and this also meant that he had what it took to become one of them. But how did Lucina and the others set up such a trick? What about Owain… didn't he fall on the ground unconscious? These questions will be answered in the next chapter.

Until next time, please have yourselves a good one :)

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. __  
_


	6. Chapter 3: The Ark

**The Ark**

* * *

"Congratulations Robin. You just passed the true test. You're a Shepherd now," Lucina gave him a warm smile as he turned around. He was greatly relieved to see that she was okay, and unbeknownst to him, her smile made him blush.

He was staring at her, replying with a smile on his own. He felt his body flooding with happiness. She had, finally, expressed a positive feeling towards him. Maybe it was something as small as a smile. Maybe it was nothing. What was certain was that, for him, it was the first step to living his dream. A secret dream that was buried deep inside him. When he felt it was getting awkward, he looked around and noticed that the other Shepherds were happy that he had passed as well.

His eyes were moving quickly as he searched for a particular person. Unfortunately as long as he searched he just couldn't find her.

"So… Robin. Don't you have anything to say?" Lucina asked him, much to his surprise.

"How did you guys set this up, and why?" He asked, like he couldn't believe what was happening. "I mean I am just a random guy from a burned village with no memory of what happened." He continued unsettled. All those joyful feelings he was feeling faded away as a new thought overtook him. "It seems like a waste of resources to use on me."

"What do you mean Robin?" Lucina asked. Meanwhile, her friends came close to them and wanted to congratulate Robin themselves. He gave no attention and continued. He was serious.

"I mean, why go through all of this trouble for someone like me? If I was such a high risk, then why waste so much resources for someone who might be of no use."

Lucina did not understand the question, because the answer seemed obvious. Why wouldn't they want to help someone else if they were sincere with their actions?

"Pardon me, Robin. The situation is not as you think. You are not as high of a risk as it may seem, but it's protocol for all possible recruits. Someone taking part in the test that runs away is both a coward, and possibly a traitor to our cause. You on the other didn't run. So you proved that you're worthy of being part of group." Laurent explained to him systematically.

"I see. But the Risen and Owain? That seemed too real to be faked, and the risks would not be worth it."

"See for yourself!" Laurent told him and soon Robin saw a familiar face.

"Owain! Thank Naga you are okay" Robin said seeing him walking toward them with a grin on his face.

"Yeah, sorry for tricking you." Owain told him calmly. "But as you can see I'm fine."

"But what about that disgusting creature? I presume that thing is part of the Risen you keep speaking of, but I don't think our enemy would willingly take part in this exercise."

"It was because of _this_," Owain told him and removed a small box from his pocket. It gave off a strange and horrible smell, and Robin felt like he couldn't breathe. "This is a reeking box. Inside it has the purple dust you saw earlier. Let's just say it can call a Risen instantly, out of nowhere. Our enemies use them to grow their army bigger and stronger. They, compared to us, can control them too. We haven't figured a way yet," he told him.

"Yikes. I got it. I got it. Put it back please," he told him quickly not wanting to see another one of those hideous things. "So that means that my match with Severa was fixed as well?"

"Good job captain obvious! You thought a 'C minus' swordsman could beat me?" Severa came into the picture and looked back at him appalled. "Think twice, smarty-pants. You 'beat' me because you predicted my final move. A move I told Owain to show you in your last practice-fight."

Robin was both confused about her appearance and disappointed about her words. He also wondered where she had shown up from. Had she just entered the building, or was she there the whole time?

"Laurent?" He asked hoping for an explanation.

"Sorry, Robin. That was part of the plan too. But I wouldn't say you are a C minus fighter, if that would make you feel better."

"C minus?" Robin whispered not knowing what it meant. "Why do I keep having more questions than answers?"

"It's a way to categorize ourselves depending on our strengths and weaknesses. Laurent's idea," Owain added.

"And now what?" He asked for one final time.

"Now we return to base. We'll pack our things and leave." Lucina told him promptly.

"We're leaving?" He asked surprised

"Of course. We are heading to the Ark. It is an important place that will help us determine how to fight off these creatures you just saw." She said and made a hand gesture to signal for everyone to head outside. Robin got out and felt the cold air again covering his body. He sighed and moved with the rest back to the base.

* * *

When they got back, Robin entered his room and took one last look at the window. He opened it and saw the black dark sky filled with small bright stars. Then he observed the wildlife, the small birds, chirping loudly. He smiled. Then a little bird came flying at him. He spread his right arm for the little birds to sit on it, and he observed its red fluffy belly closely with the help of candles' light. "There there little fella. I won't hurt you. Especially since we are both a type of robin." He laughed lightly to himself. "Lucina also seemed very fond of you too. Hmm? You are asking who she is? She's… a unique woman. To be honest I know little about her, as I only met her yesterday. She wasn't keen talking to me, though. But she seemed more open today after the ... test. Oh! Did you see that?" Robin asked in awe as the sky looked less bleak for a moment.

The little bird chirped almost to acknowledge him, even though he knew that wasn't possible. Yet, it was still on his right hand's index finger, looking at him back curiously. "That my friend was a falling star. In these situations we make a wish and wait until it comes true. Hmmm, Now you want to know what I wished for, right? Heh, I wished to find out about who I am and I also wished for that girl, Lucina, to find what she really wants. To be honest, you don't know how lucky you are my friend. There is a great war happening, and it seems like my new friends have been on the run for a while. Not to mention tomorrow I will go to a place called 'Ark' with them. But you have those wings ready to fly wherever you want, free of any troubles." He told the robin in wonder. "And maybe go to your family if you felt like it. I, on the other-hand don't even know if I have a family. If there was anyone special in my life, if my parents are alive, or where I lived. But I guess I am lucky to be here. These guys here opened their hearts and let me in. For now, I'm not sure I could be more grateful."

"Erh-hum. Robin?" He heard a feminine voice.

"Yikes!" He reeled back in surprise. Immediately, the little robin fled for his finger, and he saw it flying for one last time and lost it when it entered the woods. He then turned around and saw-

"Nah! How long have you been here?" He asked surprised. She was staring him with her bright pink eyes, wearing her cute white dress and red boots.

"Having fun talking to the birdie?"

Robin felt embarrassed and said, "W-what. No! I wasn't-"

She gave a soft chuckle and said, "It's okay Robin. We all have our secrets. If you take me for example, I never met my parents. I was young when they passed away. I never met them. You, on the other, live with the hope of meeting them, again someday. I don't have hope for that. Then after their death, the darkest years of my life came," she said. Robin saw her moist eyes, as she was verging on tears.

"Nah. I had no idea," He said trying to calm her. He approached her gently and let her touch her head on his shoulder. He tried to stroke her sea-foam green hair and listened to her crying and it broke his heart.

"Easy, Nah… I'm here. Don't worry, you have me," he told her as he was holding her tight. "We have a long day tomorrow, I guess," he continued. The young girl, then wiped her tears, took a deep breath and thanked him for his help. She nodded to him.

"I apologize Robin. Every time I think about it, it's just…"

"Shh… It's okay," Robin tried to comfort her.

"My door is always open, for anything you need. And we can continue our talk at some other time, right?"

"Right," she said, and then gave him a quick hug. She then moved her head close to his, pressed her lips on his right cheek and quickly left the room and left him immobilized. He closed his eyes and sighed. He got on his bed again, lifted the sheets and slept to gain strength for his next long day.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 3: The Ark_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note): **Hello again everybody! This chapter was a "quiet" and smooth one, more like the aftermath of the previous chapter. In the next one our characters will head to visit the "Ark"…

No copyright intended.

Until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King  
_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. __  
_


	7. Chapter 3: The Ark (II)

**The Ark (II)**

* * *

"Chirp Chirp," the birds echoed in Robin's room as the sunlight cast through the window and onto his face. Feeling the warmth of the sun's rays, he opened his eyes refreshed and ready for his trip. He didn't know what he was expecting, but he felt confident and optimistic about today. He inhaled and smelled something extraordinary, a scent that was light, sweet, and with a small touch of spiciness. Immediately, his belly grumbled and called for breakfast already intoxicated by the aroma. So he got out of bed and noticed his robe on the desk while he looked out of his window and saw the bright sun.

Before leaving the room he inspected his plain beige shirt and decided to leave his belt and robe in the room. When he got out, an enormous corridor expanded in front of him. He stared at the rocky floor and the open windows on his left while next to him there was a strong dark grey wall made of stone. He felt the breeze coming from the windows. "What a great way to start your day," he thought as his nose showed him the way to the dining room. It was the door on his right after he had passed five doors. The door was open, and the scent of the well-made food got stronger with each step. When he went inside he greeted his new friends, and he noticed the room was large enough for a table to seat about twelve to fifteen people. There were also two windows in front of him, the kitchen on his left, and the table on his right. Cynthia was overseeing the food while there were small cupboards next to her that were used for storing the food. He saw the small fire, next to her, and the cauldron on it.

"Good morning everyone! What do we have here?" He asked and listened as his stomach started making weird noises again.

"Dear Robin. I can't compromise with the idea you are indeed a lucky person. Your "luck" must exceed 30, for sure."

"Guys… What is Laurent talking about, again?" He asked confused by his friend's words.

"Good morning Rob Rob!" Cynthia told him with a great broad smile. "Come sit down with us. The food will be ready in any minute."

"Yeah! Come right here Rob Rob," a man told him sarcastically making the others giggle. He seemed in shape, wearing tight blue clothes and dark black pants. He was stroking his bright brown hair and signed him to draw near.

"Could you please remind me your name? It seems to have slipped my mind. I mean I remember you from yesterday, but…"

"The name's Inigo. I will not rest until every woman in the realm swoons at my name. That's my life long goal and shows my eternal soul." he told him with a bright smile.

"But right now he fails miserably," Owain added, causing the room to exchange chuckles.

"You never seem to stop with your stupid jokes don't you?" He asked him rhetorically, in an irritated way.

"You better calm down Inigo, because my sword hand itches!" Owain warned.

"Stop it you two! We shouldn't be fighting with each other," Brady yelled.

"So… Inigo it's nice to officially meet you." Robin smiled back.

"The pleasure's mine. So you must be eager to meet all of us. So let's start from the beginning. In front of you there's Lucina. Next to her is Cynthia's seat who is cooking now, then Owain, then Brady, then the guy with the mask Gerome, then Laurent. Opposite of Lucina, is your seat, then me, then next to me is Kjelle one of the best knights out there, then there is 'Hurricane Severa.' He replied rather dramatically. "Next to her is the timid but friendly Noire, the shy Yarne, and our beloved Nah," he told him as everyone waved back.

"Great," he said and grabbed his seat. The wooden chair was a bit uncomfortable, but it was better than sitting on the floor.

"So… what was Laurent talking about earlier?"

"He believes he can judge someone's abilities as a unit by dividing them in smaller parts. They are hit endurance, strength, magic, skill, speed, luck, defense, resistance and movement. What they symbolize is a whole different story. But I don't believe in such ridiculous things. Nobody can measure the spirit of a true fighter," Kjelle said and hit her fist on the table.

"I see…"

"Oh yeah! And I forgot the best part; skills! Our mage has observed our own fighting techniques, style and talents as units. He has even named them according to our moves. It's so silly…" She continued.

"Great spirits always encountered violent opposition from mediocre minds," Laurent told her in an aggressive way. While Robin couldn't believe that another fight was on the verge of happening.

Fortunately enough, Cynthia left the pot on the table and caught everyone's attention. It emitted strong heat waves that made Robin feel like sweating. She opened the top and those colorful smells flooded Robin's scent receptors, again. It was beef boiled with tomatoes, oil, carrots potatoes, and with a small dose of cinnamon.

The food was as perfect as its smell, the meat was juicy and the flavour of the potatoes and the vegetables were unreal. The bad thing was that the portions were not that big to satisfy Robin's belly.

He finished eating and looked around him. Oddly enough he saw Yarne with two dishes of food, and Nah as well! "What in the world?" He thought, but decided not to speak. Instead, he thanked them for the meal.

"That was by far the greatest breakfast I can remember… And the only…" He told them.

"Actually it's our breakfast, lunch and dinner. You are indeed lucky to be eating this. Yesterday, do you remember when I gave you the eggs? Those were our one and only food for the day. Half egg for everyone. Thank goodness, Gerome found this animal on the wild. I had at least a month to see something like this. It's great that now we'll be heading to the 'Ark'. We're done clearing this area, so in a few minutes we're leaving," Owain told him.

* * *

The sun was too hot for Robin it seemed. Maybe it was because he was wearing his robe, and its color didn't help at all with the black shade absorbing most of the nearby sunlight.

"Robin! Would you mind hurrying? You are slowing us down a bit, you know," Nah told him. She was as Robin remembered her from yesterday, only now she was wearing her red cape and had her small bag. Either way he continued marching forward. Surpassing trees after trees, bushes after bushes, with no sign of flowers.

"Hey Nah! Do you have a moment?" He asked her. Nah smiled.

"I saw you earlier that morning having two dishes instead of the regular one. Why was that? No offense, or anything. It just seemed weird to me," he told her. She nodded in understanding. "It is because of this!" She said and showed her pointy and unique ears that were hiding under her bright green hair.

"Nah! What is this? Are you what I think you are?" He asked astonished of what he was seeing.

"Yes Rob Rob. I am a manakete, and Yarne is a taguel. I have a strong metabolism and to satisfy my body I need at least two dishes. Don't judge me from my small size in my human form. I get three to four times bigger when I turn into a dragon," she told him with a smile. She was obviously hiding her true identity to anyone except her team. Manaketes are rare species and rarely or never show themselves in public. Robin was slightly amazed from what he heard. The young and cute girl he knew was the team's powerhouse! While the others continued marching forward, they continued chatting.

"And one last thing. Why did Inigo call Severa 'Hurricane'?" He asked curious.

"Oh! You don't know how she got that name? It's an exciting story!" She told him thrilled. "Well there was a time that our team got separated to deal with Risen. I wasn't recruited for the team yet, but that was what they told me. Severa took down five Risen all by herself! With her trusty killing edge and bare hands."

"No! You're telling it wrong! In reality, she didn't have a weapon and there were more Risen. She was surrounded, but she still managed to survive. It was legendary. At least, that what I know," Owain corrected her. "Oh! And sorry for eavesdropping," he said. Robin was confused. "So who knows what really happened? Robin asked.

"Severa for sure and I believe Lucina as well. She was the only witness, but don't expect them to talk about that subject," Nah informed him.

"Great…" He replied.

Suddenly, a group of cavaliers appeared at the horizon. They ordered their horses to rush at them. They came with a lot of speed and their stallions were fast like the wind. Lucina saw them coming and with a hand gesture ordered everyone to stop walking until she ensured that they weren't their enemies while the two cavaliers were fast approaching them.

"En garde everyone." Lucina ordered, as everyone was preparing to engage a battle.

Robin was closely observing the cavaliers. He noticed that they were wearing a morion helmet with a red feather on it. And that they had sturdy armor. Soon, they arrived and told their stallion to stop. The first cavalier got down from his dark horse and demanded to speak with their leader. Robin then saw Lucina coming at them and explaining the situation. He couldn't believe his eyes when he saw both genuflected for her. Then, they returned to their horses and said: "Milady, we'll guide you from here. Welcome back to the Ark." Lucina nodded and turned to her people.

"We've arrived everyone. It's been a while," she cried happily.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 3: The Ark_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! I managed to write this one and on time :P The "Ark" Chapter is consisted of one or two more parts. Sorry if this one was a "smooth" chapter with less acton, but I assure you that the next one will be satisfying. Now when will the next one be uploaded? I am not sure... In this period of my life I am truly busy and tired of working all day, so like I said, until June, it will be hard for me to write... After the middle of June I will be back 100% and the chapters will grow in number and in size! But writing makes me happy and I will definitely try to find some time to write the next one sooner.

You can always pm me or review your ideas, or what you think of the story so far, which are always appreciated and welcomed.

No Copyright intended. Please don't mind any grammatical errors.

Until next time, please have yourselves a good one ;P

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today.  
_


	8. Chapter 3: The Ark (III)

**The Ark (III)**

* * *

"We've arrived everyone. It's been a while," she cried happily.

The Shepherds marched forward, having the two cavaliers showing them the way. Oddly enough, their destination wasn't far. Once they reached deeper in the forest they found the entrance and the only problem was that they had to cross a large bridge made purely by rocks from Regna Ferox. Robin looked around him. He saw trees with huge trunks and looked up but still couldn't find the top of them. He was amazed by their size. That led him to assume that this place was quite secured, and that helped the trees grow in size. Under the bridge there was a rapid moving river with width at least 25m. He could even see people with their boats fishing and that got him excited. For the first time after two days and a long hour trip he saw people. Alive and safe. While they got close to the entrance of the bridge he got a glimpse of the Ark's gate and the sturdy walls extending from each side. It was jaw-dropping.

"That's "Porta Solis", meaning "The Sun Gate". It was at least 12m high, with 25m width and 3m thick, but purely made from iron. It was made by 12 rows of steel bands, with the firsts being horizontal and the seconds vertical. Then as thick and tall are the fort's walls, made from two layers of hard rocks. Lucina's father, himself made it with the help of one of his closest friends … That's why it's called Ark. It was built as a refuge for the Great War between Plegia and Ylisse. The newly exalt Chrom lead the way with his close friend on his side, and won against the Mad King Gangrel who sought nothing more but to slaughter and create chaos. King Chrom's great victory over him was passed to the legends that the people keep telling the small children to grow up. *Mumble* Like Owain… Now it serves as a small town, unknown to Grima's forces and takes care of many people who need help," Nah told Robin.

"Wait! That means that Lucina is…" Robin told her with his eyebrows curved and high.

"Yes, the exalt of Ylisse… Or what remained of it. I might need to give you one or two history lessons later to enlighten you about in what time you woke up, he he," she said giggling.

"I know it's weird, but although I know a bit of geography, I can't seem to recall those great historic events… Sorry about that," he said.

"Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it." Robin heard a familiar voice.

"Speak of the Grima! Lucina you scared us," Nah told her.

"Excuse me if I interrupted your chat or for eavesdropping. However, we need to cross the bridge, as the meeting will be held in at least an hour. Robin, I am afraid I might need you to come with me," Lucina told them.

"Of course milady, if only I knew… Please forgive my dreadful manners so far…" he said with his head lowered.

"Robin, you know this isn't the time for that. Just call me Lucina. I was never good with formalities, like my father. After all, there is no Ylisse…" She trailed off, but then quickly shook her head." But that's enough, let's keep going please," she said and ran to catch up with the two cavaliers.

The rest of the group followed them and crossed the magnificent bridge. Robin saw his friends being amazed by the view and from their change of scene. He thought of how lucky he was, again. "Laurent's right. My luck is over 30," he thought and silently laughed. When they reached the "Porta Solis" a second wave of soldiers came at them to check them. This time they were four cavaliers and a paladin. The paladin wore his shiny red and gold armor, which made Robin think that this guy might be important, and his golden helmet. He looked tall with brown hair and had his eyes frowned. The paladin quickly checked the Shepherds names and his men confirmed that they were on the list. Undeniably, there were some highly strict measures to get inside. It was the last safe place of the land after all. He checked on Robin again with his fierce look and troubled him. The paladin then asked his men if he was on the list and when they answered "No" he drew his blade and turned it against him. Lucina, who was unaware of what was going to happen, unsheathed her falchion and used herself as a body shield for Robin to calm the enraged man down. She explained to him he was one of them. The man then quietly stared at her. She then responded: "He has passed the test. As I told you he is qualified to enter." Her words apparently weren't enough as the paladin responded: "We'll see about that at the meeting."

Then the Shepherds were allowed to pass "The Sun Gate". Kjelle looked at the cavaliers with respect. She turned at her team and said: "My mother was a distinguished cavalier. Every time I see one around I just can't help but think of her words "Kjelle, you are not cut out for it"," she said and sighed. While our team continued Robin got a taste of what an actual town really looked like, people walking there and there, some children playing. The sidewalk was hand made, and the rocks were specially crafted one by one. There were white houses with flowerpots on their small balcony, containing orange to yellow tulips, scarlet red roses and daisies, of course, which got Cynthia quite excited. She had adopted her mother's habit of flower fortuning. A horse-drawing carriage then got past right next to them. Brady saw the coachman and remembered his mother.

Undoubtedly, this place brought everyone a lot of memories, except our Robin. After his meeting with the paladin he remained silent and often lost in thought. Lucina, who knew the streets and the place better than anyone, guided them to their destination, an unoccupied house. It was built close to the plaza and the flower shops. Its walls were white like the others, and on the first floor had a small balcony with a table with chairs and flowerpots close to it, where barely three people could sit. Lucina got to the sky blue door and got a key out of her pocket. It fitted the lock, and she opened the door. The team experienced the inside of the house. Although it lacked much furniture, it had a lot of rooms for two people. Fortunately enough, there were rooms for everyone. On the first floor, which included only three twin rooms, Lucina shared her room with Cynthia, Severa with Nah and Kjelle with Noire. On the ground floor, where the kitchen and the living room were, Robin shared his room with Owain, next to them were Inigo and Brady, Laurent with Gerome and…

"Psst! Owain… where will Yarne sleep? Obviously there aren't many beds for all of us. Don't tell me he'll stay the night on the couch?" Robin told him.

"He he. No. I believe you'll be as shocked when you heard that Nah was a dragon, but Yarne is a taguel. I'm not sure if Nah told you that," he responded.

"She had. But that means?" He asked.

"That means that Yarne is a beast too. A killer bunny I would say, which is called taguel. That's why he's… different. Anyway he grew in the wild and doesn't want to sleep in a bed, so he chooses the ground," Owain explained. They suddenly heard footsteps coming from the stairs. Robin got out of his room and saw Lucina. She pointed at him and he got close.

"Robin, if you have packed your things, we must hurry to the great meeting. They are expecting us," she said.

"And the others?" He asked.

"I am sure they will be fine by resting in their comfortable beds. Please we must go."

* * *

"So Lucina… Where are we heading again?" Robin asked her as they were fast pace walking. He even stumbled a few times.

"Each year, there is a meeting. It usually took place at Ylisse's grand castle, but after its fall it's held here, the last safe place of the world. Leaders of Valm, Plegia, Regna Ferox and more would gather and discuss about peace, war and other political subjects. My father used to bring me to those meetings. They were somewhat boring, but now I see how important they really are," she told him.

"You mentioned Ylisse's fall?"

"Yes. Ylisse the first victim of Grima's forces and himself. The fell dragon flew above the city and turned everything into ashes. Our beloved kingdom turned into ashes, in only one night. Imagine the risen you fought, but only millions of it. Our forces were strong, but lacked endurance. And so we fell. Unfortunately, most of my trusted people gave their lives for Cynthia, and me in order for us to escape. Until this day I think that it was a wrong choice. As their leader I should have fallen in the battle…" she said, surprising Robin.

"Never say that again! Do you hear me?" He shouted at her, madly. "Fights are won as easily as they can be lost. You have no responsibility for a fight that you were outnumbered. If you'd been killed, then I would have been dead too, remember? Although, I don't believe in fate, I believe that you survived for a reason. And I am sure that this reason is the one that will give us the strength to defeat him," he told her.

"Oh Robin. It is unclear if there were any survivors after the fight. It was all my fault…" Robin saw her eyes getting more wet by any second passing. He got closer to her and hugged her. Then he felt something he never expected; a pain in his chest, as she pushed him away.

"What do you think you're doing? They'll think we're…" She said.

"We're…?"

"A couple. That it was _this_ reason that brought you here in the first place." Her words hurt him more than he imagined.

"Yes. You're right," he said lowering his head. "I don't care what others will say, but if you ever feel the need to talk to someone, I want you to know that my door will always be open," he continued, being calm and serious. He then saw that her tears were no more and he couldn't be more delighted. They continued their walk and eventually reached a great building. It looked old and old fashioned, but it bared the sacred crests of the all kingdoms of across the known land. Robin and Lucina knocked on the tall door. It was made from pure wood and he felt it with the palm of his hand. It was sturdy and hard, but green. Green, but not from paint.

"The wood is from the Mila Tree, at Valm. As tough as iron, right? Anyway, the conference is held here. You will meet the leaders of the rebellion. Be patient, tolerant and let me do the talking," she said. Robin nodded. Then, the door opened. He saw knights all around the luxurious hall. Unique paintings and unbelievable sculptures caught his eye, with the floor being shiny and having mosaic themes or even scenes from wildlife. But above else, what made him most "excited" was no other than the paladin, from before.

"Lady Lucina," the paladin said and bowed to her. "Seth," Lucina said and bowed as well.

He then saw Robin and murmured: "Robin…" with a bit aggressive tone. Robin didn't let him get into his head though. He thought it was natural of him to show distrust towards him. He probably would do the same if needed. This time he was not wearing his armor, but he had dressed up, possibly for this occasion.

He saw many more people talking. Some of them had fancy badges, others with long white hair and jewels that were rare, like rubies, sapphires, emeralds and more.

"Lady Lucina there is a person that is desperate to meet you. He is one of our finest tacticians and has driven us to many victories towards the risen. Oh! There he is," Seth said. Robin saw the young man Seth was talking about. He was wearing a robe just like his and had white hair just like he, but he was short, unlike him. Robin, at once, felt a pain in his head. He was aching, but tried hard enough not to show it. He noticed the man being surprised as he when they crossed their eyes. But the man smiled, in a way that looked like a smirk, and got close to them. He bowed to her and said: "Greetings dear fallen exalt of Ylisse. My name is Morgan. And who is that young gentleman you have there?" he asked meaning Robin. "Impossible!" Morgan thought. "He looks just like my master, but in his old and weak form. What kind of trickery is this?" He continued (thinking). Robin tried to set his headache aside, for this exact moment and greeted the man as well.

"My name is Robin. I am part of Lucina's team," he said giving him a handshake. "Shall we head to the meeting, now?" Robin asked Lucina, and Seth. He nodded and they headed at the convention room. It was about to start soon.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 3: The Ark_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! I'm back :P I found a little time and made part (III), I hope it is satisfying. I can clearly say that part (III) is the "calm before the storm". What storm? Well I may gave some clues away, but you've probably guessed it. Like I said in this period of my life I am truly busy and tired of working all day, so until June, it will be hard for me to keep writing... After the middle of June I will be back 100% and the chapters will grow in number and in size!

You can always pm me or review your ideas, or what you think of the story so far, which are always appreciated and welcomed. If you've spotted a small mistake (with plot or with the names) don't hesitate to pm me. I would like to thank you for your warm support so far and your positive comments. I believe it is my duty not to let you down ;)

No copyright intended. Please don't mind any grammatical errors.

Until next time, please have yourselves a good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. _


	9. Chapter 3: The Ark (IV)

**The Ark (IV)**

* * *

As they moved forward, Robin noticed that the floor was sleek and bright because of the sun light shining through the windows. The floor's decoration was also made to amaze. It had two stripes made from pure gold, one on each side near the walls, and between them it was covered by solid white marble. On his left, the red wall was decorated with war paintings which showed different moments of battles through the years. On his right was a bright yellow wall with windows opposite to the paintings with the shudders up so the air could get in.

While they were heading to their room, a particular painting caught Robin's attention. It was the portrait of a man, probably a king. He had deep dark blue hair and blue eyes like Lucina. He wore a black jacket with only one sleeve, and the man also wore a white belt that served as a sheath for a blade. With his right arm he wielded Lucina's falchion, and Robin recognized it immediately. That could only mean one thing, and he examined the painting a bit more to double-check. The background was black and the man also wore a white cape and his right deltoid muscle had a symbol, one that he couldn't remember where he had seen last.

Lucina approached him and whispered in his ear that it wasn't time for these, but when she looked at it herself she froze. Right when Robin was about to say something, she grabbed him from his left bicep and pulled him in order for them to continue walking toward the convention room. Robin did as she said, without being able to get the man out from his head. Could he be Lucina's father? He could also be her uncle since he didn't know her family tree to be honest, but he had a feeling that was not the case.

After a while, they found the door to the room. Seth opened it for them and they entered into a large room. It had the same decoration as the other rooms and had a huge round table in which the leaders of the rebellion sat. Robin counted ten people including himself, and he saw the little tactician sitting with the other leaders which made him worried. However, he was already acting suspiciously and he didn't want him to cause any more trouble. So Seth showed them their respective seats and quietly made their way to them. Once they reached their seats it was time for the meeting to begin. A man got up from his seat and looked around at the members before he spoke. He was taller than Robin, a bit more muscular and looked to be around fifty-years-old. He had dark hair and a long black beard, to go with his black clothing. His only contrast was his blue eyes.

"I, Mus Khan of West Ferox welcome you to this year's convention. Like the year before, I shall speak the names of the participants. First , we welcome bow knight Bovis, Khan of East Ferox, General of Valm Tigris, Ylisse's Exalt Lucina, High priest Lepus, Paladin Equus, Sage Ovis, Paladin Seth, Grandmaster Morgan and um, aw yes, Robin Ylisse's tactician." Mus said chuckling. Then he looked directly at Robin. "It's utterly droll that Lucina's new tactician is named after the great Robin." Mus' words caught Robin's attention. His head ached, once more, but this time he couldn't control it. He caught his head with his hands discreetly to avoid any question. Mus, unfortunately, saw him and asked if he was all right.

"Yes, I am alright. Please excuse me, sir Mus. I might have gotten a cold, but I didn't mean to interrupt you." He said diplomatically.

"As we all know, Robin was king Chrom's right hand man. Together they ended the Mad King's war plans against the other countries and Walhart's imperialistic plans. They stood against those men that tried to destroy peace, but every legend must fall. It is a cruel fate! "Betrayed by someone close to them at the Dragon's Table, leading to the eventual resurrection of the dark lord. That's the end of this small story. That's the reason we are here to serve justice and bring peace, once and for all," Mus said and hit the table with his fist; it shook at his strength. Morgan smiled and took the word.

"But before we continue discussing our strategic plans, sir Mus, don't you think it should be a good idea to serve justice first? Am I right Lady Lucina?" Morgan said.

"What do you mean, Grandmaster Morgan?" Lucina asked surprised.

"I mean to punish those leaders that led to unacceptable defeats and deaths. That's what I mean!" Morgan said. He was unnaturally furious and his face turned red.

"Define 'leaders' Morgan." Mus said intrigued while the rest of them stood silent. Morgan then raised his fist in the air and said, "Ylisse's fall Khan Mus! Who was responsible for it? Who was also responsible for the village's burn? Who's responsible for the unfair death of those citizens? They burned to ashes! Women, children, and infants! All because of YOU, Lucina!" Morgan said angrily. "It's time for the council to know the truth!" Morgan continued, but Robin couldn't believe what he heard, nor could Lucina.

"Grandmaster Morgan you are being absurd! Your reaction is unjustified and unsuitable for your kind character. Why are you acting like this?" Tigris asked, confused by Morgan's actions.

"Am I Tigris? Or is she? She played us all! Why do you believe she survived? Why do you believe she failed every mission after her return from Ylisstol? She made a deal with the dark lord, that's how! Why can't you see it?"

"That's absurd!" Lucina cried and felt that she had to react after Morgan's slander towards her actions. Morgan though, didn't stop there.

"Is it Lucina? Tell this to my dead sister! My beautiful sister who burned in Ylisstol's fire, who gave her life so you can betray her to the dark lord! So you can leave her body to ache from the fire. So you can turn her to ASHES!" That last word. That word caused the whole room to become silent. The council saw the young man's face. Although, it looked bright red because of his shouting, they saw the pain inside of him. Under that hard shell of the fearless Grandmaster, they saw a brother mourning his sister's unfair and horrible death. Robin couldn't even bare to hear all these, much like everyone in the room. Meanwhile, Lucina lowered her head and closed her eyes.

"Lady Lucina… Are these true? Have you sworn to protect the dark lord?" Mus asked. Lucina broke her silence.

"No… They are not," she responded in a calm way, unlike the council's mood, which was everything but calm.

"How will you defend yourself Lady Lucina? Words aren't enough you know." Mus told her.

"I know Khan Mus. I demand a fair trial, tomorrow if possible," she said. Robin couldn't believe what he was hearing. The man who caused him headaches accused Lucina of been part of the Grimleal. That the village he woke up was her work. Could it be? "Of course not," he thought.

"Your request has been accepted. Damn it Lucina, Morgan is right. We gathered here after so much time to discuss our plans for tomorrow. But everyone's beloved little princess is now accused with strong cases for the worst crime ever committed. Seth! Accompany her to her home. Also, double the perimeter, so nobody can escape or leave. Take her. The council is postponed until further notice." Mus said and sighed. Robin heard everyone mumbling about her. Seth approached them.

"I am sorry, milady. Orders are orders," Seth told her.

"I understand Seth. If I were you I would do the same thing. I have no fear because truth always prevails," Lucina responded. Then a guard with Seth as a leader came and ushered both of them to their home.

* * *

When they arrived, Robin saw another part of the guard outside of the house. Fortunately enough, they let them get inside. The rest of the Shepherds were waiting them. The moment Lucina stepped in Cynthia rushed at her.

"Are you fine? Did they hurt you?" She asked worried.

"Don't worry Cynthia, I am fine. Robin never left my side." She replied calmly which eased Cynthia's spirit.

"So how did it go? As expected?" Inigo asked impatiently. Lucina nodded in the affirmative. A silent cheer from the team was heard causing Robin to get confused.

"What's going on guys? I'm the last to hear the good news, right?" Robin asked.

"See Robin, our plan was to get here for this exact reason!" Laurent informed him.

"What reason?"

Severa responded. "Do you think we're here to be safe? Come on! You're not that stupid. We're here because we want to. The convention was just a cover."

"Severa what are you implying?" Robin asked confused.

"I'm implying that we are here to get our key to defeat Grima!"

"And what key is that? Where is it?"

"First, the key is probably the last document my father made before he died. It's the map with the locations of the five gems of the "Shield of Seals". It's located in the convention center. We're here, considering the fact that now we know it's here! Someone told us," Lucina told him.

"Who is someone? And is Morgan on the trick, because his yelling seemed real?" "Who's Morgan?" Laurent asked to further add to the questions.

"Yes. About that… We also need to figure a plan to escape," Lucina said determined.

"So the trial the guards told us was real?" Owain asked surprised.

"Unfortunately, yes. See, there was this boy called Morgan, and he attacked me verbally because he believes I'm part of the Grimleal. Tomorrow, I will be put on trial for the council to be sure I'm not their enemy. It was the best I could do and I don't believe it's something to take on seriously. That's why there's a guard outside and that's why our job isn't as easy now."

"Lucina, are we sure we know in which place the map is in?" Robin asked trying to assess the situation and Lucina nodded back to confirm.

"Great! Because I have a plan!"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 3: The Ark_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! The newest chapter is finally here. I hope you liked it! I'm sure it raised so many questions, but they will be answered next time. I will try to post the next part tomorrow, but I can't guarantee anything. I also want to mention that I try really hard to step up my writing skills for everyone to enjoy the series, so don't be too harsh on me, I try with everything I have. Also, in my free time I have checked and I will continue to check previous chapters for mistakes, in the grammar or the general flow of them.

Please don't mind any errors. No copyright intended.

Until next time, please have yourselves a good one :/

* * *

_J.D. King_


	10. Chapter 4: Shield of Seals

**Shield of Seals**

* * *

"So… Robin. Whatcha have in store for us?" Brady asked.

Robin then told the Shepherds to gather all together and said, "Before I continue, where is the map exactly?"

"Do you remember the painting we saw earlier? Right behind it, there must be a case. Our source told us it's there." Lucina replied.

"Our source?" He asked curiously.

"Many people died fighting Grima. There was one person from the original Shepherds that didn't. Her name is Tiki. She guides us through these dark times and told us to trust none other than those who prove their royalty. Also, she was the one to tell us how to defeat him. Our only way is to gather all five gemstones, before him. The gemstones and the shield of seals were one. Because of its tremendous power they were separated and spread across the lands in unknown places. The Exalt of Ylisse was responsible for them. They should never fall to hands of the enemy otherwise our future is doomed. This is why we must succeed. Now tell us what you have in mind, it's getting dark already," Lucina responded not wanting to waste anymore time.

"All right. My plan is to find the map and get out of here before they put you on trial," Robin said, causing confusion to his teammates.

"Why? If I run away they'll think I'm guilty. They already do."

"Exactly. Don't you see the outcome of the trial has already been decided? They will sentence you to death Lucina. Morgan obviously controls the council. They only listen and follow his orders."

"That's not true! He reacted like that because he lost his sister Robin. How would you react if you lost someone important?" She asked him.

He paused, slowly closed his eyes and sighed. He then raised his head and calmly responded: "Right now I have no one important. I don't know if my family is alive, or if I have a brother, a sister and friends… You are my family. I make every move aiming for as few casualties as possible. And if there is even the faintest chance of one of you getting killed, I won't make that move. And honestly, I don't know. I don't want to. But getting the map is much more important now! And for the record, I don't trust Morgan. There's something about him that makes me feel weird."

"Is it because he looks like you?" Lucina asked.

"He doesn't look like me." Robin quickly protested back. "I'm not that short. Anyway… will you listen to my plan or not?"

"You mean the plan that says thirteen people, a Pegasus and a dragon leave a city, possibly one of the last safest on earth and the most well guarded one, unnoticed? Oh and that they get past the 20 guards outside. You mean that plan?" Laurent questioned him.

"Yeah! That's exactly what I'm saying," Robin replied calmly.

* * *

The sun had completed its tour for the day, and was now replaced by myriad stars that dotted the inky canopy. A low, gibbous moon hovered in the twilight firmament, giving a very dim light upon the land. It was like a dark curtain fell over the land, with twinkling spotlights adorning the velvet texture of the night. The guards' armors reflected the moon's light, while they kept an eye on the Shepherds' house. Suddenly, the door of the house opened and two people got out carefully. At once, the guards rushed at them and the sound of the metal hitting the ground echoed in the silent night.

"Halt! Where do you think you're going? We are ordered to not allow anyone to leave the building!" The guard told them. The young man wore his usual deep dark armor and the guards could barely see him. The Pegasus knight on the other hand was more noticeable, because her breastplate was made from pure iron.

"Don't you know that our animals need to be fed? Minerva needs her usual meal and so does Sumia. And if they starve how do you expect them to do in the battlefield? They'll die! So do me a favor and let us feed them," Gerome responded annoyed. The guard took a step back and thought it over to see if was a trap or anything else suspicious. Although, Lucina and her team had a great reputation among the citizens of the town and when the rumors about her to be on trial for treason, they couldn't believe it. Chrom died for peace. How would his daughter betray mankind at this stage?

Having these thoughts, the guard executed their request. He ordered five of his men to go with them to the stables, just in case anything suspicious happened. Although, the chances were slim. Meanwhile in the house, the others were planning their next move. Laurent got close to the front door and opened a book. Its cover was red and had a yellow flame painted on it. He quickly slipped through the pages and stopped when he found the passage he was looking for. "Ego sum Laurent. Ego praecipio ignis. Come ignis!" A bright red aura surrounded the book and Laurent's outline. His eyes turned from deep brown to as red as blood. The room's temperature went abruptly up, causing most of them to sweat from the heat. Suddenly, Laurent shouted for one more time: "Fire!" But nothing happened. His aura faded and everything returned to normal.

"How did it go Laurent?" Robin asked. Laurent, proud of himself, responded: "See for yourself!" Quickly he rushed at the closest window. The guards scattered from panic. Then, his eyes were lit by the fire he saw just outside. The road in front of the house had caught fire. Citizens went out of their houses and the guards were dazed looking at the huge fire. Oddly enough, the fire didn't spread, but it was enough to cause a jam of people in the streets. It was the perfect chance to blend with the crowd and leave unnoticed. When Robin saw enough people outside he told his team: "This is our signal, let's go everyone. Severa, Owain, Lucina! You will go with me." And so the Shepherds one by one jumped out of the back window transferring the two suitcases with their clothes and spare blades. Robin nodded to Yarne to carry them and he gladly did. Robin then quickly counted his teammates, only to find one was missing.

"Where's Brady?" He asked around, but nobody knew where he went. "He was just with us!" He continued. Then a blonde haired man jumped out of the window holding a small to medium size case. "What?" He asked confused while the others glared back before moving on.

They were separated into two groups and discreetly walked along the crowd. Robin and his small team headed right at the convention centre while the other party went their separate ways.

"Did they see us? Did they call reinforcements?" Owain asked.

Severa turned her head around so she could see what was going on. Her teammates were gone and so were the guards from the house. They were busy handling the crowd. Screams of terror and people shouting were heard. At one point, the flames exploded! Unfortunately, this led to some houses to catch fire, including theirs. Soon, hordes of paladins and mages came and focused on putting it out. This didn't distract them from their cause, as it was under control.

Before long, they arrived at the building. It wasn't guarded at all and they silently got inside without being seen. Lucina then guided them through the corridors.

"Am I the only one that believes this is creepy? It's dead dark and the only light we have is this oil lamp. Not to mention that everywhere around us there are statues and paintings that make everything even more scary…" Owain said with a low tone.

"Nope. It was a lot creepier this morning," Robin said.

"So the others will follow the secret paths under the city? Are we sure they know where to find them?" Severa asked.

"Yes. I believe I told them as best as I could. Few people know their existence, as my father built them only for emergency situations. If this town were under attack, those secret lines would let the people escape and evacuate it safely. But we should focus on finding just the right painting," Lucina responded. The team quietly walked around, until they reached that specific corridor with the special portrait. Lucina immediately ran at it.

"Wait! We need the lamp to see too!" Severa said. The team stood in front of it watching it.

"Father. Even without you in life, you still help us with every way possible. Robin! Hold the lamp for me, please," Lucina told him. With slow and delicate moves the young lord removed the painting from the wall, careful not to break it or make too much noise. A small case was revealed behind it, and she took it with caution. The case had a rectangular shape and was around 20cm long with 5cm width. It was made from pure wood and had the brand of Exalt crafted on it. Lucina opened it and said, "It can't be! It's empty!"

"Well well… the criminals returned to the crime scene… Where did you hide it?" He shouted.

Robin recognized the man at once. It was none other than… "Morgan! I should have expected you here! You double-faced rat!" Robin shouted.

"Oh, please. You tricked everyone with your pathetic "fire trick", but it was so predictable... Now give me the map and I won't reveal your plan to the council."

"So you want the map huh? You'll never take it from us! But why do you want it?" Robin asked. Severa looked at Robin in a strange way and whispered: "What are you doing? We have nothing to give him." Robin looked at her too and winked. "Trust me," he told her.

"That's none of your business. Only remember that Lucina will be put on trial tomorrow if you don't give the damned map to me, now!" Morgan yelled.

"Not before you answer our questions. Even your presence here left me confused."

"Of course and you are Robin. How could I forget that you suffer from amnesia? That must baffle you, doesn't it? Who you really are, if you have family or not and which side you belong to? Man, you must have a lot of questions. But know this, you are an enemy to us. You burned the village down. I saw it with my own eyes," he told him. "I can answer every question about your origin, only if you give me the map."

Robin stood still and stared at him with the help of the lamps light. "So you knew Lucina had nothing to do with the village. That means you accused her unfairly on purpose. And that also means you are a terrible liar!" The tactician told him.

Morgan frowned, by hearing all of this. "I asked for the map politely and you wouldn't give it to me. That's fine tactician. I'll get it myself!" The corridor lit from the fire that surrounded Morgan. It burned hot and the Shepherds drew their weapons.

"He's a sorcerer! Everyone watch out!" Severa shouted. Robin, showing no expression of fear, revealed him the case. "This is what you are looking for Morgan! Let us go and it's yours." He cried, but Morgan wouldn't listen as he threw a fireball at them. They dodged it, but Morgan drew closer with the same red eyes that they saw Laurent have earlier. He felt his head sweating and his heart beating fast. He looked at his friends and realized that they were just as scared. But he instead, tried to hide it.

Morgan silently raised his hands and got closer to them. He was just ten meters away and he made two spears of fire were with his magic. He grabbed the one and threw it at them. Thankfully, they had the skill to dodge it again, and the lance hit the ground and disappeared. "We must fight back! Robin, what should we do?" Owain asked. Robin was silent. Morgan then ran at them and threw another fiery lance. This time though, it sliced Severa's waist, but didn't hit her entirely. She screamed out of pain as her wound was bleeding and was hurting her from the burn. Robin, immediately after seeing it, ran at Morgan.

Owain saw his friend shouting Morgan's name from anger. He saw him cloaked by a green light. Robin's eyes were now bright green. He raised his hand and screamed: "Suscitabit nunc Forseti!" A powerful wind blew against Morgan. It strong enough that easily carried him away. The younger tactician hit the ground with so much power that it knocked him unconscious for good. Robin then rushed at Severa to see that Owain and Lucina were taking care of her. She was sitting on the ground and they were pressing the wound to stop her from bleeding out any further.

"How are you feeling?" Robin asked concerned.

The red haired lady responded annoyed: "You and your stupid ideas... I'll survive, don't worry. I've been through worse."

"Robin! What you did was amazing! We should rename you from "Rob-Rob" to "Hurricane Robin"," Owain told him with an ironic tone.

"You still are calling me "Rob-Rob?" The swordsman asked ironically making his friends smile.

"But Robin! The case was empty! Who took the map?" Lucina asked troubled.

"I'm sure I have an answer to that." The man said and got close to Chrom's portrait. He raised and hit it against the wall several times. Its frame turned into pieces. He then took the painting and delivered it to Lucina.

"Check to see if it's back," Robin told her.

She took the painting with caution and saw it. "That's the map to the five gemstones of the Binding Shield! That means that the case was just a distraction!"

"Exactly! A distraction from the real map!" Owain said enthusiastically.

"How did you know?" She asked him curiously. The tactician then responded: "It was just a hunch."

"You are full of surprises Robin. First the plan, then Morgan, then this…" Severa murmured lowly.

"Hey! It will be better for you to stay silent. You need to keep your strength until we take care of you." Robin suggested with a calm tone.

"We better get going. Gerome and Cynthia must wait for us in the roof," Lucina said in a hurry.

"That's right! Our air transport is here! What a great idea Rob!" Owain told him. Robin then paused and responded ironically: "Great indeed. You know how much I love flying."

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 4: Shield Of Seals _

* * *

**A/N (Authors Note):** Hello again everybody! These past two days I felt the need to write. So I turned all the inspiration I had into this chapter. I hope you liked it! In the next one we will answer some question that were raised in this chapter. Unfortunately the next one will mostly likely be uploaded at 12th of June... Stay tuned :)

Clarifications:

[1]: (Latin)

\- Ego sum Laurent. Ego praecipio ignis. Come ignis! = I am Laurent. I command fire. Come fire!

\- Suscitabit nunc Forseti! = Raise now fire!

As always thank you for your positive comments so far! It should be mentioned that these_ positive reviews_ make me so happy that I want to write as best as I can, for as much as I can. Thank you :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one! :D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. __  
_


	11. Chapter 4: Shield Of Seals (II)

**Shield of Seals (II)**

* * *

"Huh? Since when did you despise flying?" Owain asked him. His words made Robin feel uncomfortable, but he knew that avoiding the answer would get him nowhere. He took a deep breath and said: "Cynthia and Gerome might be already at the roof. We have to get there as soon as possible. But, along the way, I could tell you." Owain nodded. Then he moved quickly and with the help of Robin got Severa back on her feet. She could stand on her own, but Robin understood she was still in pain, because of her facial expression. She had closed, frowned eyes and held tight her waist at her wound, but she was silent. Although she was aching, she tried everything not to show it. But of course our tactician saw it. It was because he reacted the same way after the Shepherds found him in the village. The way of walking, the body language, every move she made reminded Robin of him. He, on the other, acted in this manner because he was recovering from a deadly wound. Severa, though, wasn't.

"I'll guide us to the roof. Don't worry everyone." Lucina told them. "T-This way!" She said and pointed the path they should take. Owain then asked again: "The map?"

"It's in the case," Lucina told him. "Great! Let's get going already," Robin said. He tried to take Severa's arm and help her walk, but…

"What do you believe you're doing? I said I'm fine! Now take your hands off me!" Robin found himself being pushed aside. She then got close to Lucina. The team continued their way to the roof. The princess guided them through the corridors and the stairs. In the meanwhile, Owain and Robin continued their previous chat about flying.

"It's not exactly that I hate flying. It's just I feel weird when I'm so high from the ground. It gives me the creeps."

"And it has nothing to do with the way you were brought to us? I mean you, bleeding, were carried over by a Pegasus to our base, when you couldn't even remember your own name. For me that would be a scary experience. Or is it Cynthia's fault?"

"No no. She was fine. Well, now that I think of it, the ride was quite bumpy." Much to Robin's surprise Severa broke her silence.

"This has to do with the wind's speed and the adaptability of the rider under those conditions. Cynthia isn't a pro."

"And you are a pro?" Owain sarcastically asked. "Oh! Shut up Owain!" She said. Things started to get out of hand, but sudden sounds made them set their differences apart and solely focus on escaping.

"Ssshh! Footsteps! They know we're here!" Lucina whispered. "Quick! Let's get out of here!" She continued. The team did as she said. Finally, after carefully walking, they reached the final stairs to the roof. Unfortunately, they were leading nowhere, but from a door at the ceiling. Owain tried to open it, but with no luck.

"Damn it! It's locked!"

"What should we do now? Smash it? They will understand we're here!" Lucina said.

"Don't they already know that? I mean they are looking for us," Robin responded.

"Yes. But don't you see that if they know we didn't only try to escape, they'll start looking for the legendary jewels too! They can't interfere with our plans!" Lucina explained.

"Don't they already know that too? It's certain that Morgan told them. Who told Morgan is the _real_ question. And who is he working for?"

Those weren't the _real_ questions for Robin. Morgan knew about his past. He had told him he was a bad person and that he was the reason for the burned village. Who was Morgan? How did he know about his past? Who was "us" that Morgan referred to? All these baffled Robin's mind constantly after their meeting.

"Nothing of these will ever matter if we don't get out of here! So stand back everyone! _Dragon's Punch_!" Owain yelled and hit the door with his bare hand. Although it didn't break, it cracked. He then took his sword out and delivered the final blow to the door. It turned into two pieces and everyone got on the roof. It was just a plain floor with no fence, no furniture and no walls. The view was astonishing, by the way. Or it would be if they could see something different from the fire and masses of people at the streets. On the other, they were glad to meet Gerome and Cynthia. With the former having his wyvern Minerva and the latter her Pegasus Sumia on their side.

"Gerome! Cynthia! I'm glad you're alright!" Lucina said and rushed at them.

"Lucina! We have no time. Do you have it?" Gerome asked. Lucina nodded. "Then let's leave already. The others are already out of the town," he continued.

"Yeah! They made it!" Cynthia said with a cheer.

"And how did the two of you made it _here_?" Robin asked. The riders weren't very reluctant to relate the whole story and told them to get onboard as soon as possible. And the team did, with three people on each animal. Soon, from the cracked roof door, the sounds started to get louder, but it didn't matter because they had already taken off. This time Robin wasn't afraid, because he was on Minerva's back. Being on a wyvern is a whole different experience than on a Pegasus. Much steadier and faster. Behind him was Owain. The two animals sored through the magnificent night sky. They used darkness to camouflage themselves from archers or other riders. This plan proved successful as they safely got past the town's walls and headed to their friends.

* * *

The Shepherds were reunited outside of town and unfortunately were still on run. They knew there were guards looking for them and so they had to pick their next move fast. Following Laurent's advice the team decided to head to Tiki. The manakete resided at the Mount Prism, a magical place where darkness couldn't enter. Moreover, Tiki was thought to be at the Valm's Mila Tree sleeping, so the Mount Prism wasn't at all guarded by Grima's forces. The Shepherds always had to be a step ahead of the enemy. Their troubles for the night had ended after they understood that the Ark's forces stopped searching for them, at least for the night. Then the team decided to camp right where it was. Brady and Inigo brought the rocks and created a circle to put the branches Yarne and Nah had found and Laurent helped setting up the fire with his tome. Having the fire ready, they quickly built small tents and took care of those that were injured.

The Shepherds formed a circle around the campfire and related their own stories about their escape. Most of them were identical; enter the secret passage and get out of the town without anyone noticing. After a while, Lucina told them what happened to them, as well as the incident with Morgan and the map. The team had a rough time and everyone really enjoyed themselves, except from one person. Robin understood her absence and discreetly got up and tried to find her. She could only be in one place, her tent. Unfortunately for him, as it proved, she was inside, lying on a sheet on the ground with a red candle next to her.

"Hey! Why are you here alone? You should join us," he told her.

"I'm fine. I only need to rest. It was a rough night of everyone, after all. And don't worry if you miss any of their "epic" stories. I am sure we'll have to hear them everyday from now on," she replied making him giggle.

"Severa, I must apologize for earlier. It was my mistake that got you wounded and I'm sorry."

"Of course and it was your mistake! But I really don't want to talk about it. So would you mind getting out of my tent?"

"In fact yes, I do mind. I came here to apologize and you just throw me out? I can't accept that!"

"I don't see how that's my problem Robin. Good night and please don't forget to snuff out the candle before you leave."

"Damn it Severa. What is wrong with you? I came here to talk not fight with you! I'll leave only if you _honestly_ want me to leave. So do you or not?"

She paused for a second. At that moment, their eyes met. Robin felt something weird and couldn't explain his emotions. She had found every possible way of making him want to get out of there and never talk to her again. But he didn't want to do anything close to that. Then Severa murmured with her soft voice something he never expected to hear: "I don't…" Robin got closer and found a cozy spot next to her. "So... How did you end up here?" He asked.

"Did you forgot that I'm a mercenary? Lucina pays me to fight alongside her. When all these are over, I'll leave the team with huge sacks of gold."

"So your dream is to make money? Ha! I don't believe you. You're better than this."

"And how do you know Robin? Is it one more of those mysterious hunches you keep getting? " She said and turned in front of him. Robin stared at her with calm and patience.

"Maybe yes or maybe not…" he responded.

"You're right. I have a different dream, but it's a bit more ridiculous."

"I'm all ears. You have nothing to fear."

"You know that mercenaries can be hired from almost every place in the world. So by becoming one, I would explore the world and travel to unknown lands and places. But it's stupid right?"

"Not at all! I honestly, find it very interesting. And the name "Hurricane Severa" came from one of those mercenary jobs you had?"

"I beg your pardon? Which name again?" She shouted this time and caught Robin off guard.

"Uhm… The "Hurricane Severa"? Is it such a big deal?"

"Of course and it IS! Now... GET the hell out of my tent. Chat's over."

"What? Are you for real?"

"Robin! I told you to get the hell out of my tent." This was all he needed to hear. Their moment lasted for a couple of minutes. Why was it so important with the nickname anyway and made Severa yell at him like that? Obviously irritated, he left the tent without looking back and got to the Shepherds' campfire. He took his seat next to Owain. Owain leaned his head towards him and whispered: "You mentioned her nickname right?"

"Yup… That's exactly what I did," He responded.

"Everybody listened her shouting. But please answer me this: Is there anything between you two?"

"Ha! A nice and straightforward question, but the answer is simple…"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was**  
_Chapter 4: Shield Of Seals_

* * *

**A/N(Author's Note):** Hey guys! It's been forever! There are a lot of excuses for not making this chapter on time, but truth is that nobody can control life. and neither do I. Fortunately enough, I'm finally done with my other activities and I will solely write, because it makes me feel good :)

Anyway... I made this one very late at night and it might be full of errors... Don't tell them any error you find because I will check it when I wake up! And possibly the next one (because this one was short) will be posted tomorrow so stay tuned!

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one! :D

* * *

_J.D. King_


	12. Chapter 5: Azure

**Azure**

* * *

He left the tent without looking back and got to the Shepherds' campfire. He took his seat next to Owain. Owain leaned his head towards him and whispered: "You mentioned her nickname huh?"

"Yup… That's exactly what I did," He responded.

"Everybody heard her shouting. But please answer me this: Is there anything between you two?"

"Ha! A nice and straightforward question, but the answer is simple: No Owain," Robin responded with confidence, but he soon felt embarrassed when he saw the others staring at him with their bulging eyes. Owain then sighed and told the others: "Darn it! I lost this one! Here's your money everyone!" He got a small moneybag out of his pocket and gave it to Inigo. Then everything went back to normal, with them chatting again.

"Thank you Owain. Better luck next time! Who else said "yes"?" Inigo asked, proud of himself. Robin couldn't believe his eyes.

"Whoa, whoa! What in the world is happening? Did you make a bet out of me, again?" He asked.

"Dude! Chill. Everything ya see is basically a bet. From how much food we'll bring to if you have the hots for Severa. But be careful, coz this is still debatable, so Inigo give our Ow his money back," Brady explained. Inigo followed his words. "This isn't over Owain! I'll win!" Inigo told him.

"What! This is infuriating! How could you bet on something like this? I get it for a one on one in training, but guys… What I do in my personal life has nothing to do with you, ok? May I have some privacy?" His words made them feel sorry. They stared and nodded at each other.

"Robin is right. I've also told you countless times that this isn't fun nor will it ever be. I apologise on my cousin's behalf," Lucina told him. Owain, Inigo and Brady then apologized, but Robin got up and left. He decided to go for a walk, leaving everything behind.

* * *

Under the moonlight and the shimmering stars, he continued his walk. He was still troubled about Morgan. And the more he tried to find an answer the more he couldn't. After a while he stopped and looked above. Gazed at the infinite universe that expanded before his very eyes.

"Beautiful isn't it? I believe this is the only beautiful thing left to this world. It's something the dark lord will never take from us. It's the fading light of hope that keeps me going." Robin heard the female voice and recognised it immediately.

"What are you doing here, Nah?" He asked, surprised, and saw the green haired girl holding a red candle.

"Nothing. I mean I'm here for two reasons. First is to give you this candle to ensure that you'll get back to us and the second is to tell you that Lucina needs to see you in her tent. Nothing too important."

"Great. I'll be there in a minute," he said.

"So, what are you doing here exactly? You left without saying a word."

"Let's say that I have a lot on my mind right now."

"You know you can always trust me. You helped me the other day and I would gladly do the same."

"Look Nah. I really don't want to bother you with my problems, so I'm fine."

"Mm-hmmm! So it's about Morgan? Go figure!"

"What? How do you kn-… Anyway… it's pointless… " He said and lowered his head. "It feels like a great burden; not being able to know who you really are. Was I a good person? Was I a bad? And then there goes this guy who tells me that I burned down the village that you found me in. That I'm one of them," he continued, rubbing his eyes with his fingertips.

"Robin. I'm sure that in your past life you were a great person. Just look at all the good things you've already done in this week; you've proven to be trustworthy, beat a Risen yourself, saved Lucina from an unfair trial, helped us escape from a well-guarded town with the map to defeat the dark lord and saved Severa and the others from death with your unbelievable powers! You are a _good_ person and never let anything Morgan says to you make you think otherwise."

"Do you think so?"

"I know so." She told him and stared at the tactician's deep brown eyes. Robin felt that weird feeling again, but let his thoughts aside, because he didn't want to ruin this moment too, by overthinking it.

"Robin?" "Yes Nah?" He responded quickly. "I also had a third reason to come here. I heard the rumor about you and Severa, as well. I-Is this true?" She reluctantly asked.

"Yikes Nah. Just because I visited her tent, it doesn't mean that I'm in love with her."

"Great! I'm glad to hear that."

"Excuse me?"

"I m-mean, I'm glad b-because… I've bet against it. That's it! I've bet against it! Heh."

"Then I'm glad that I too made you happy," Robin said and decided to head back. They needed rest in order to be ready for tomorrow's journey. When they got back the fire shone bright. Nah then thanked him for the walk and went back to her tent. Robin gave her a faint smile and made his way to Lucina's tent. He stood outside and waited.

"Lucina! May I come in?" He asked. "Yes," he heard and got inside. It was just like Severa's and probably everyone else's tent; the wooden pillars were a little taller than himself and multiple candles were lit to see. Lucina was lying cross-legged on the sheet.

"Come! Don't worry I don't bite," she told him.

"Well we'll see about that!" He said and she actually giggled. Robin took a seat next to her.

"You wanted to see me?" He asked. Lucina nodded and gave him the wooden case that bared the crafted Brand of the Exalt. Robin opened it with caution and saw the map inside it. "It's about this right?"

"Yes but before we continue, I wanted to ask you something. I would like you to work for me as our team's tactician. Your extraordinary skills in planning and predicting our opponents' moves have proven to be extremely useful. So what do you say?"

"Uhm… Wasn't this Laurent's job?"

"No. Did he say it was?"

"Nope, it was just that he made all the planning, until now."

"Maybe, but your skills are way beyond his. Even your magic! That wind magic you used against Morgan was so powerful; I've never seen anything like it! So what do you say?"

"I would gladly accept, but I have to be honest here. That move against Morgan was pure instinct. I can't remember what I was thinking at that time and it might have something to do with my past."

"It seems to me that you could have been an experienced tactician. Think about your over the top way of thinking, your great tactics and your tome ability. You were definitely a tactician."

"And how do you know it?"

"Because my father's tactician behaved like this. I may have little to no memory of him, but I will never forget the way my father talked about him. He was his greatest friend and his greatest companion, alongside our mother, of course."

"I will try to live up to his name. I can ensure you of that. So let's take a look at this map."

He took the map out of the case and spread it on the ground. On its front side there was still Chrom's portrait, but it didn't matter. Its backside though had a golden like colour. Also the continent of Ylisse, Plegia, Regna Ferox and Valm were drawn on it with black ink. The lines were thin and it had extreme detail. There were roads designed here and there and also little crosses in some places. The towns or important places like a capital or a mountain were shown with a small circle with their respective name next to them.

"This must be it! The places of the legendary jewels are marked and also apparently there are some notes concerning them. Where are we though?" Lucina at once pointed with her finger at their exact position.

"Here!" She said. "And Lady Tiki is residing at the Mount Prism [1], which is here," she continued.

"Ok I know this may sound a bit of a suicide but how about getting to Tiki, while also getting the stones that are close to our path first? We could use the notes to help us get them. I can already see… two crosses in our road. So when we arrive at her domain, we would have two of them."

"I agree. See? That's why you would make a fine tactician. Which one is closer?"

"The map says Azure and the note says…"

"This sounds weird, is it like a riddle?"

"Whatever it is it, I think it will be fun,"

* * *

The sun has rose and its warm rays warmed Robin's body. He slowly opened his eyes, yawned and stretched his body. Then he got up, put his boots and his robe on and went outside. He greeted his friends, as they were already preparing to leave. Laurent walked past him and gave him an angry look. Robin didn't pay the look any attention and instead went straight to talk with him.

"Good morning Laurent. Do we have anything for breakfast today?"

"No. We didn't collect any food, but my guess is that we will today. By the way, for the record, your attack on Morgan required "Weapon Proficiency Rank A". Even I don't have that much! It is remarkable that you have shown such excellent signs of brutal force."

"What? Oh! I remember… It's your list about categorizing our strengths and weaknesses in battle. Good job on that! And I beat Morgan by relying on my instinct; it felt like someone else was controlling me, like I lost myself. So don't give it too much attention."

"Whatever you say Robin," Laurent left with a clear smirk on his face. Immediately after their chat Kjelle approached him. Her shiny armor made it difficult for him to see her. Eventually she reached him.

"Good morning tactician. Lucina told us we're leaving, but she didn't mention Tiki. I believe you will know our true destination," she said.

"Yes, I do. We're heading to Tiki, but let's say that we'll make some stops along the way."

"Meaning?"

"Meaning that the map has revealed the closest jewel to us right now and we're going to get it. It's Azure."

"And what about the riddle in the note next to it? I wasn't able to figure it out. What does it mean?"

"It means that we'll have to be careful of what we see in there. But more on that later. I should better prepare my stuff too. I'll catch up with you later," Robin told her and did as he had said. He packed the sheet and the tent, then left to meet the others. A while later, everyone had prepared for their next big mission; to find the first sacred stone and make the second step in defeating the dark lord. Before they started, they gathered all together and Lucina explained the situation: "Our target is to get there, take the jewel and leave. It's very simple. We are mostly looking for a temple, probably likely built by rock. Now Robin will tell you the note that was next to the location of the temple."

Robin then took the word. "Alright fellas. The notes are written in this form to probably protect the jewels from thieves. Most thieves nowadays or in the past were illiterate, so they would have no idea with how to read this to get to the jewel. And even if they did know, they wouldn't understand it, because it's written like a riddle. I will tell it to you and then I'll express my opinions about it and how it will help us: "You have no control over me. I am not real, though sometimes you believe in me. I can make you happy. I can make you cry. I'm clear as a day, but yet you can't see me with your eye."

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 5: Azure_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note): **Hello again everybody! How is everyone being? I am not quite sure if everyone is reading these A/N 's, but I'm fine. I saw the magnificent 40 follower support and I'm so happy. We've come a lot way and I would like to thank everyone for his contribution. I'm thankful that you like the story so far and for your positive comments. I also want Antex for his help in editing this chapter.

-So have YOU solved the riddle? ;) It's a bit harder than it looks like. You can always follow to get alerted when the newest chapters are coming :)

-Clarification:

[1]: I mistakenly wrote the Tiki's place as Origin Peak in the previous chapter. She is at Mountain Prism. I apologise if it caused any inconvenience.

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended.

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;)

* * *

_J.D. King_


	13. Chapter 5: Azure (II)

**Azure (II)**

* * *

Lucina explained the situation: "Our target is to get there, take the jewel and leave. It's very simple. We are mostly looking for a temple, probably likely built by rock. Now Robin will tell you the note that was next to the location of the temple."

Robin then took the word. "Alright fellas. The notes are written in this form probably to protect the jewels from thieves. Most thieves nowadays or in the past were illiterate, so they would have no idea with how to read this to get to the jewel. And even if they did know, they wouldn't understand it, because it's written like a riddle. I will tell it to you and then I'll express my opinions about it and how it will help us: "You have no control over me. I am not real, though sometimes you believe in me. I can make you happy. I can make you cry. I'm clear as a day, but yet you can't see me with your eye. So any suggestions everyone?" Robin asked the Shepherds. The members were thinking. "Any suggestions?" Robin asked for a second time. This time he got an answer.

"Yes Nah!" He said. The young manakete responded: "How about an illusion? I believe it fits the description." The rest of the team started to nod at each other and Robin did too, but he wasn't convinced. "Great Nah! Your answer is really close! Congratulations!"

"But why? Is there something more?" She asked. "I had something different in my mind. I'll explain right now. I believe the answer is "a dream." Think about it. Think about it, everyone. The riddle says: "You have no control over me." We can't decide in advance about what we dream. Then the "I am not real, but sometimes you believe in me" refers to those who believe that their dreams can foresee the future, although dreams aren't real, they're in our imagination. And let's not forget that it also says "I can make you happy. I can make you cry." We might dream about something that will make us happy, but we might also see something that will sadden us. And last but not least, the final part of the riddle: "I'm clear as a day, but yet you can't see me with your eye," means that we can't understand when we're dreaming as everything seems so real and that we can't experience a dream with our eyes open, thus we need to have both eyes closed to experience it." When Robin finished he heard applause from his friends. He bowed and thanked them.

* * *

Having solved the riddle the Shepherds began their journey to find their first stone. The journey was a long one and the team coped under rough circumstances. But why wouldn't they? They were fighters. They were heroes, even if they didn't know it; they were humanity's last hope. And so they continued moving forward, getting closer and closer to their destination day by day. In the meanwhile, Robin understood why he was called "lucky" back in their base. How could he have understood it, if he never experienced it? There were days that they starved and moved earth and heaven to find even a piece of fruit. And when they did they were indeed lucky. Grima didn't only devour every form of human life, with unfriendly intentions, but also destroyed and even incinerated other forms of life like trees, bushes, flowers and wildlife. But those experiences made them stronger. Every hit they took, made them bond tighter as a team. Shepherds now saw Robin as if he was with them years, although he was for at least a month. Despite their hunger, thirst and non-stop walking, which at some points seemed endless, the worst part was something else. Owain described it as the "never ending fear of death." Each day they woke up with the feeling that this day might be the last and that feared them. Nobody could know if they were going to be attacked from Risen or if they were to walk into an ambush from the remaining Plegians or even their previous ally, the Ark.

Undeniably, the circumstances were pushing them to their limits, but Robin found time to get to know his new friends better. He trained with Kjelle, Severa, Lucina and the others, was part of the resources searching team with Yarne, Laurent, Owain and would come up with a solution to almost every problem that occurred. He was indispensable to the Shepherds.

After a month of travelling, having closely followed the map orders, they reached the place where the first stone of the binding shield was held, Azure. They were in the middle of a dead forest, consisted from nothing but leafless trees and muddy ground. The weather was sunny and cool.

"We're here. We did it everyone!" Lucina said relieved. "It is exactly as the map shows, a temple made of stone," she continued. And it was indeed. A strange looking entrance made purely from rock lied in front of their eyes, in the middle of nowhere. It was surrounded by large trees, which made it invisible to see from a far distance. But of course the map provided them with a solution to this problem, a pond that was located ten meter away from it. And the team rushed at it, not to the entrance but to the pond. It was days since they passed by a river or a lake and their water supplies had dried out just the day before. Nothing could be compared with the sweetness of the water refreshing their mouths, necks and stomachs. Feeling better the Shepherds approached the weird looking entrance and stared at it. The entrance was made from two huge pillars, which were consisted by dozens of rocks one on top of the other. Behind each one of them walls of great length extended until they formed a circle by meeting one another. The branches of the trees that grew alongside them expanded and wrapped them. [1] The two pillars connected on their top with a rectangular shaped rock, which was sculpted on its front side. From what they could make out it depicted a battle scene, but had on of the soldiers holding a sphere.

"That's the Azure!" Inigo said.

"Guys! Mind your step and every move you make. We should be very careful from now on!" Robin warned and everybody agreed.

The entrance wasn't directly leading to the temple, though. It led to a long rocky road, which had walls from each side and an open roof and was the one that connected to the temple. Before the Shepherds continue they decided who would enter.

"I believe it is Lucina's duty and Robin's to enter because they were the ones that planned our journey and know every detail of the map," Laurent said causing the other members of the Shepherds to agree. Lucina was at first hesitant to enter, because she was unaware of what surprises the temple held for them. But after seeing everyone cheering for her she remembered that it was her duty to protect her friends. She then saw Robin nodding at her and drawing strength from those feelings she decided to enter. Robin took a small tree branch from the ground in case they needed a torch and a small bag, which held his tomes and to keep the sphere. Just before they entered Robin turned against them and said: "It is noon, everyone. If we haven't got back after you've turned the hourglass 10 times [2] then search for us. If you spot an enemy approaching then send someone warn us immediately. If we lose this chance then the world is doomed," he said and left them behind.

They cautiously passed the entrance and entered the narrow road. In a couple of minutes they reached its end. Lucina and Robin stood in front of the temple. They saw the walls extend and surround it. Much to their surprise the temple seemed like a short (one story) building, but with a great length, which they were just to find out. Robin immediately used his fire tome to turn his tree branch into a fiery torch. The temple was made from the same rocks as the road, the walls and the entrance. It lacked a door and Robin saw the darkness coming from inside it. He gulped and entered. Lucina, who was behind him, instinctively grabbed him by the hand and followed him. Robin, who with his right arm held the torch and with his left Lucina's hand, stepped into the darkness of the temple. Immediately, after entering he spotted two pillars, each next to the entrance, which had a silver bowl on their top and could be used for lighting the room. And that's exactly what he did. By the time, he got his torch close the bowl on top of the first pillar it caught a small fire inside it. Then instantly a fiery line, beginning from the pillar, expanded through the walls. He did the same to the other, the two lines of fire met and the entrance room was finally lightened. Robin looked around. The room had a square shape and the floor, which appeared to be made from marble, had letters on it creating a text that was made from small mosaic pieces. Unfortunately, for them there were three doors, one on each side of the room. They decided to read the text on the ground.

"It appears the text is written in an archaic version of ours. Let me try reading it," Lucina said.

He nodded and she tried to read the text. She rapidly turned at Robin. He saw that she was shocked by what she had just read.

"This… P-Place! It says it's cursed!"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 5: Azure_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! First and foremost, I know this chapter is short. I was between either uploading it this way or not. I guess a short chapter is better than none :P But don't worry the next one will surely be uploaded by tomorrow and be a lot larger :) Again, I've uploaded it when it's dead midnight for me, so please bare some small mistakes, until I correct them when I  
get up tomorrow :) In the next chapter we'll see how the riddle connects to the Azure sphere and what secrets lie within the temple. Thank you for your support so far. You can always show your appreciation through a favourite and get alerted about when the newest chapters are coming through a follow :D

[Update]: Due to some schedule conflicts, Azure Chapter (III) will be uploaded tomorrow, instead of today. "Please Understand" :P

Clarifications:

[1]: The shape of the temple was like this, in case the description confused you: ==O. The = are the two pillars with the walls behind them and the O is the where the temple is, inside the walls.

[2]: 1 turn for their hourglass was equal to 10-5 minutes.

[3]: There is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing in the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear.

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended.

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;)

* * *

_J.D. King_


	14. Chapter 5: Azure (III)

**Azure (III)**

* * *

He gulped and entered. Lucina, who was behind him, instinctively grabbed him by the hand and followed him. Robin, who with his right arm held the torch and with his left Lucina's hand, stepped into the darkness of the temple. Immediately, after entering he spotted two pillars, each next to the entrance, which had a silver bowl on their top and could be used for lighting the room. And that's exactly what he did. By the time he got his torch close the bowl on top of the first pillar, it caught a small fire inside it. Then instantly a fiery line, beginning from the pillar, expanded through the walls. He did the same to the other, the two lines of fire met and the entrance room was finally lightened. Robin looked around. The room had a square shape and the floor, which appeared to be made from marble, had letters on it creating a text that was made from small mosaic pieces. Unfortunately, for them there were three doors, one on each side of the room. They decided to read the text on the ground.

"It appears the text is written in an archaic version of our language. Let me try reading it," Lucina said.

He nodded and she tried to read the text. She rapidly turned at Robin. He saw that she was shocked by what she had just read.

"This… P-Place! It says it's cursed!"

"Lucina! Relax. There are no things such as curses. There is always a logical explanation behind everything. But just for fun, what is the curse?"

"I-It says that we'll stop living in this world."

"That doesn't make any sense… Anyway, we should choose a door. Does it say anything about which door we should take?"

"Nope nothing. Only that intruders will be punished by the curse. Robin this is serious," Lucina said. Robin then caught her by her shoulders and looked straight at her eyes.

"Take a deep breath. Great. Now breath out. We are not intruders. We are the ones that want to save this world, not use the sphere for our selfish reasons. That's why we are destined to succeed."

"But I thought you said you don't believe in fate?"

"I don't. I believe that when a person truly wants something, the universe conspires to make it happen. I _want_ to help you and I want to find the sphere. So in a quick guess, I say the left one!" Lucina nodded and they went for the left door. It was a simple wooden door. Robin spread his hand to the doorknob, but in a blink of an eye, it vanished along with the door. Robin shook his head in amazement. As he stood there he his heart raced, like a runaway train, going faster and faster.

"Robin! W-What was that?" Lucina could barely speak from fear.

"I h-have no idea," Robin said and gulped. "M-Maybe a sign that this wasn't the correct door. Yes! That's exactly what! Let's check the right one!" He continued and they walked their way to the other side of the room. The fire's light was strong. But also when Lucina tried to grab the doorknob, the door vanished in front of their eyes.

"Noo! Not again! Robin! Should we ask for help?" Lucina asked. As they turned their heads to the exit, they realized that it had disappeared too. The room was empty, with only one final door remaining. With no way to leave the temple, they went to open the last door. When Robin stood in front of it, he reached to slightly touch the handle. His hand was shaking and his breath had quickened. Finally his index finger touched it. He turned to Lucina and relieved said: "It's the real one!"

"Then what are we waiting for?" Lucina said excited and opened the door. They quickly went inside it. At once, Robin used his torch to search for the next two pillars to light. He found them and the second room was flood by light, but when they could finally see there was a man standing in front of them. He looked like a shadow, as he was hooded and wore a long dark robe that covered his hands and feet. The man whispered: "Lucina…" The mysterious figure sent the chills down Robin's spine. He inhaled deeply and took his tome out of the bag. Lucina, on the other, was immobilized. Robin looked at her. He saw the cold sweat running down her cheeks and the expression of her eyes. Undeniably, she looked afraid, but there was something in that look. Determination. Robin drew strength from it and bravely shouted: "Who are you?" But there was no answer.

"I asked who are you?" He shouted for a second time. Then, the shadow started to become larger and larger. It turned into a mist that expanded through the room. Soon, it had covered most of it. Darkness had fallen, covering the light and it headed right towards the two. Robin, as he stood behind the door, felt the doorknob in his back. "Should we run?" He thought. He looked again at Lucina. Her expression hadn't changed. Lucina without holding back quickly unsheathed and raised her Falchion.

"I am Lucina, daughter of King Chrom and Queen Sumia, wielder of the Falchion. Now! _Be gone_!" She shouted. Instantly, the shadow disappeared and light filled the room again. Exactly opposite of them, there was the next door. They walked down the marble floor and headed at it.

The two had reached the third room. Robin used his torch again to light it and succeeded. This time there was nothing in the room apart from a small pillar with the sacred sphere on it. It shined beautifully as the light of the fire hit it. The legendary stone was small enough to fit in the palm of his hand.

"It's gorgeous! The Azure..." Robin said and got closer to it. He stood towards it, and only looked, like he was enchanted. "I can't remember if I've seen anything like that before. It has this bright blue colour like the seven seas or… Or the skyline!" He said excited. "In fact it reminds me of… Your eyes…" He continued. He heard no response and quickly turned his head around to find her. She was gone.

"No! Lucina! Where are you?" He shouted with all his strength, until his throat started to ache. Everything was so silent and he could only listen to himself breathing insanely fast and his heart beating like crazy. Then he ran at the sphere and tried to grab it. Unfortunately, his hand passed through it and the sphere vanished.

"No! No! No!" He screamed. Suddenly, he saw the same figure as in the previous room. The hooded man got closer to him. He took the hood off, revealing his white hair and face.

"Morgan! Impossible!" Robin said. Morgan walked towards him and opened his mouth. Shadows started got out from it and slowly filled the room. Morgan got closer and closer to him.

"Your princess is dead, tactician. I killed her. I wish you could be there to she her screaming your name, helplessly calling for you. Where were you Robin? Why are you so _mean_?"

"LIAR! Go away! B-Be gone!" Robin said, but heard nothing other than his laugh. He tried to find the door, or a way to escape the room, but he couldn't see anything, but darkness. Finally, he was consumed by the dark.

"You… You are pure evil, Robin. You just don't see it yet. And soon you'll follow her in death, fulfilling your purpose of existence." He heard in the shadows. He tried to run, but he couldn't, as he felt his legs stuck on the ground. He tried to move his arms, but he couldn't, as he felt them heavy and he was unable to raise them. Soon, he couldn't breath. He closed his eyes and surrendered.

"This can't be happening… I must be… dreaming! Of course, That's it! No… No… I can't be. I must be seeing... illusions! The answer _was_ _illusions_! We can't control illusions, because there are figments of our imagination. They aren't real, but I just believed in them. They can show something happy like the beautiful sphere, but they can also show something sad like the shadows devouring me. They were clear as the day, but I didn't see them with my real eyes. I saw them with the eyes of my own imagination. Everything is in my head! I lived in the world that my mind created, not the real one. That's the curse! Darn it! Nah was right..." Robin thought and immediately opened his eyes.

* * *

He found himself lying on the floor of the third room. In front of him saw the sphere on the small pillar and Lucina lying next to him. She had her eyes open wide, was shaking her head and silently murmured: "Robin... Robin… Help… I need you…" He realized her conscious was lost in her illusions, just like his had. "Thank goodness! You're safe," he said. He sighed in relief. He approached her and tried to wake her up. He held her hands and whispered in her ear: "I'm already there Lucina. I promised I'd always be. Find me. I'm already there," the tactician said. Soon she stopped shaking and closed her eyes. Then she slowly opened them again. She had truly awoken. She saw him smiling at her and instinctively hugged him tight. Robin felt that weird feeling again. This time though, it was stronger than ever. He felt a warm aura embracing his body and soul and that he didn't want her to stop, because he felt alive. Lucina tried to pull herself apart, but decided against it and hugged him tighter. Robin whispered again: " Shhh… I'm already there. Don't worry, I saw the illusions too. I was also afraid, but I had one thought to keep me strong," he said and touched her right cheek. "You," he continued. Lucina's cheeks had become as red as summer ripe peaches.

"Robin…" She said and he saw her moist eyes. He let her head touch gently his shoulder, stroke her dark blue hair and kissed her at her scarlet cheek.

"I'm here," he said. "So, we'll just leave the sphere waiting?" He asked and got up on his feet. He helped her got up too.

"Robin…" Lucina said, unable to finish her sentence.

"We'll finish this discussion later at some point. Alright? Now let's get the sphere and leave this creepy place!" He told her. "See? I told you there are no such things like a curse!" He said and surprisingly she laughed. She didn't giggle, she laughed, for the first time. It was music to his ears.

"You're right! We've had enough of this place," she told him. The two got closer to the sphere and observed it. It shined magically like it was keeping the power of the deep blue oceans or of the infinite sky. Robin double-checked if Lucina was next to him, stretched his hand and grabbed it. He sensed a flow of energy going through his whole body. Feeling refreshed, he put it in his small bag. Lucina checked her surroundings. Everything seemed back to normal; silent, with no shadows or any other illusions. The two decided to return to the exit. The walked past the third, second room and reached the entrance of the temple.

"Robin wait!" Lucina told him, as he was ready to pass through the exit. Everything was quite clear now. There weren't any more tricks for their minds this time.

"Yes?" He asked.

"If you're right and there are indeed no curses, how did we experience all… these?"

"I'm happy that you've asked. Do you remember what was the first thing we did, after we arrived?"

"We decide who will enter?"

"Think again! But focus this time."

"Hmmm… Ok! I see… We drank the water from the pond! The water must have been hexed."

"Exactly!"

"But that should mean…"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Robin asked.

"The others!"

"Oh, boy…" Robin said and they started running to catch up with their friends, having made the first great step to secure a better future.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 5: Azure_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! Sorry for the one day delay. I hope this chapter is satisfying enough and worth the wait. I had really fun writing it. Again I stayed up until late night... Don't worry I'll check the small mistakes when I wake up. I hope you enjoyed it, as much as I did and remember we have four spheres in the way... I can only say that the next puzzle will a lot more intriguing than the first one... Stay tuned :)

Many thanks to Antex for helping me finding those small mistakes :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear..

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_


	15. Chapter 6: Illusions

**Illusions**

* * *

Everything seemed back to normal; silent, with no shadows or any other illusions. The two decided to return to the exit. The walked past the third, second room and reached the entrance of the temple.

"Robin wait!" Lucina told him, as he was ready to pass through the exit. Everything was quite clear now. There weren't any more tricks for their minds this time.

"Yes?" He asked.

"If you're right and there are indeed no curses, how did we experience all… these?"

"I'm happy that you've asked. Do you remember what was the first thing we did, after we arrived?"

"We decided who will enter?"

"Think again! You're close," he said.

"Hmmm… Ok! I see… We drank the water from the pond! The water must have been hexed."

"Exactly!"

"But that should mean…"

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Robin asked.

"The others!"

"Oh, boy…" Robin said and they started running to catch up with their friends, having made the first great step to secure a better future. They were finally out of the temple. Robin felt relieved to see the sunlight again. Although they were in the temple for a couple of hours, for him it seemed like ages. Inside that mysterious building he didn't only find a part of the Shield of Seals, but also it helped him realise something very important. He was finally true to himself and his feelings. He had accepted them and understood why he felt like he had colourful butterflies in his stomach, rapidly flapping their wings and causing a wonderful. That was his second fight that he had to win, apart from saving the world of course. But why he felt that way about Ylisse's fallen Exalt? Well, sometimes there are some questions that you can't answer… yet.

* * *

The two quickly walked down the narrow rocky path to reach the end. Feeling curious and afraid of what he would see Robin, rushed at the exit, and so did Lucina. In front of them, their teammates were on the ground, unconscious, trembling, and with their eyes wide open. Having recognised that they were going through the same illusions they had, and feeling sad and sorry for his friends, Robin went straight to help them. The hex had reached into the deepest parts of their soul and had revealed their worst fears. Lucina searched for her sister first and tried to help her in any way possible. Robin rushed to help too and went for the very first person he found. Coincidentally (or not), it was Nah. The young Manakete was lying on the ground, helplessly whispering words. Robin couldn't just stand there and watch his friend suffer from her illusions; he fell at his knees and thought of what he should do. The girl, surprisingly enough, was murmuring his name. He didn't know how to respond to this, but tried shaking her body. She faintly started to react to his actions. Robin then shouted: "Nah! I'm here! Wake up!" His actions paid off when he saw her closing her eyes. She opened them again and regained full control of her actions.

"Robin! You're here!" She said. "I thought…" She continued and immediately put her arms around him and hugged him. Robin felt her bright green hair gently touching his cheeks and blushed, because he felt a little uncomfortable. 'This just keeps happening,' he thought. 'What in the world is everyone seeing?' He continued thinking and hugged Nah back. He broke his silence and told her: "Uhm… Nah? We should help the others too! They need our help. So…"

"Oh right! Please forgive me…"

"No, Nah. I should be the one apologizing. You were right all along. The answer was indeed "illusions". You were seeing illusions in your head."

"It did. You weren't the only one who had those. They were the temple's curse… But we're losing time. Please help me in waking everybody else up."

"I don't know, but try shaking them, shouting their names, or "wake up!" For me, that worked."

"Great!" Robin responded. It was time for them to help the others. When he got up, he was happy to see that Cynthia had recovered as well. They then tried to wake the others up too. It was only a matter of minutes before they had woke everyone up. Or at least that was what they thought. Everyone was in a shock after waking up, mainly because of what had happened. They had literally saw their worst nightmares come to life, without realizing it. Soon, they knew who was missing and began searching. It was Noire. She was nowhere to be found and it caused much stress and anxiety to the team.

"Darn it! Right when I thought I had no more problems for the rest of the day…" Robin thought. He then asked for everyone's help. They decided to split into small groups who would search different areas.

"Was I clear everyone? Gerome and Cynthia will search from the above and we will by land. Team A will search right from the temple and team B from the left. When someone finds her, either shout, or do anything to get in touch with us. Also, because we want nobody to be left behind we should return here right after 10 turns of the hourglass. Understood everyone?" Robin said and the rest followed his orders. He was extremely delighted with being the team's tactician. His friends respected him more and he never really let anyone down. He got to meet everyone better and felt like he truly belonged with them. Now, Noire was missing and that upset him. The effects of the hex were losing their effect and falling in the ground. If she was able to shake it off quickly, then why didn't she help the others? Where and why would she run unexpectedly? All these questions troubled him as he walked his way inside the forest. Robin was especially sad to witness the barren lands and forest, with few trees being able to grow and flourish. It seemed to him that he had forgotten what a flourished flower looked like, or it's smell. However, none of these things mattered right now.

The Shepherds searched deeper in the forest, but with no luck. Thus, they decided to search for Noire individually. Robin teamed up with his pal Owain.

"Man… Where could she be? Do you think we were attacked?" Owain asked.

"I find that unlikely. Why target only her then? The enemy could have taken advantage of your vulnerable state, attack all of you and…you get what I mean," Robin responded.

"What, you want me to tell you what I saw? Alright, but only on the condition that you'll tell me what you saw first," Robin replied.

"You got yourself a deal sir! Ok…" he said. "Everything started with you going inside. You were in the temple for a while and we stood outside chatting, training and planning our next mission. Lucina told us that the second sphere wasn't far away from here and had something to do with… Uhm… what was it again? Anyway, we waited for you. Suddenly, I closed my eyes and when I opened them everybody was gone; the guys, the temple, even the trees. I was left alone in what seemed like an endless land. I was undeniably scared at first, but then I asked from the Hero-King himself to lend me his strength. Then, a large group of Risen soldiers approached. There were many kinds of them, generals, paladins, warriors and snipers. I asked the Hero-King one more time to help me and he did. Instantly, my fists started to glow and I felt… Stronger. Being rejuvenated, I felt my sword hand twitching. I knew it was time. The fated mate to my sword hand, the divine blade Missiletain would lend me its strength for one more legendary battle. I knew destiny beckoned and I rushed at the enemy. I sliced and turned them into ashes, until their commander was left. He looked different than the others. There was something about that Risen. But could it be matched with my skill? Of course not. It took the legendary Hauteclereaxe to match the power of my Missiletain. The battle was fearsome, heroic and could be told for many generations. It fought bravely and because of the weapon triangle the Risen managed to disarm me, with magic. With my legendary sword gone, I was left alone. But the Hero-King didn't let me die. It wasn't meant to be. My hands started to glow again and I decided to fight it with my bare hands. I used every trick in the book; the Shadow Dragon, Radiant Dawn-Fist Edition, and the others. Eventually, I noticed that it was exhausted from battle, so with all my power I jumped and punched it in its forehead. The beast lost the red glow in its eyes and I knew this battle had come into an end. Proud of myself, I heard clapping and cheering. People started to appear and proclaimed me as their hero. Then I heard a familiar voice. It was Cynthia who woke me up. And that's pretty much it. Now your turn!"

"Seriously? Come on Owain! I know you good enough to doubt the credibility of your stories. The truth Owain."

"Well, the story had several flaws all over it, so please tell me what really happened. Only if you really want to though. I don't want to force you to tell me," Robin said.

"You know something Rob-Rob? You're right. You're a great friend and I trust you. Promise me you won't tell anyone."

"I promise."

"Ok… Here it goes…" He said. "Everything started with you going inside. You were in the temple for a while and we stood outside chatting, training and planning our next mission. Lucina told us that the second sphere wasn't far away from here and had something to do with… Uhm… why can't I remember? Anyway, we waited for you. Suddenly, I closed my eyes and when I opened them everybody was gone; the guys, the temple, even the trees. I was left alone in what seemed like an endless land. I was undeniably scared at first, but then I asked from… my father to lend me his strength. I was feeling lonely, alone and powerless. Then I saw a weird shadow walking towards me. It was a hooded man. He kept coming closer and whispered my name. I shouted at him back and he took his hood off. H-He was my father! Having tears of joy running down my cheeks, I rushed at him and hugged him. I told him how much I missed him and that I didn't want him to leave me again. He greeted me and promised to be by my side. Then… then, out of the blue a Risen appeared. It was a s-sniper. It took an arrow out and, without realising what was going on, the arrow was heading towards me. My father… h-he took the shot for me… j-just like it happened here. He gave his life to save me again," Owain said. Robin saw his moist red eyes and felt sorry for his fellow friend.

"Owain, I'm so sorry…"

"And then he… died in my arms again. I was left alone and then I heard Cynthia's call. You can't imagine how relieved I felt when I understood that nothing of it was real. So...what about you?" Owain asked. Robin decided not to discuss about what Owain had seen because he thought it would make Owain worse. He then started telling him his story.

"We pretty much went inside. Then we learned that the temple was cursed. Doors disappeared and shadows appeared. Then I was in the last room with the jewel in front of me. Soon I understood I was alone in the room and the shadow figure approached me. It revealed to be Morgan. He told me he had killed Lucina and he said bad things about my past. He attacked me with shadows and I stood there; powerless and immobilized, while watching him. At once, I was consumed by darkness, without being able to move, see, or hear. It was then that I understood it was just a dream and I found myself in the last room lying next to Lucina on the floor. I helped her get her senses back and we returned here to help you."

"So you saw yourself dying. I bet nobody liked what they saw. Anyway, where in the world is… Rob! I've found her!" Owain said surprised.

"I guess we're late… Laurent found her first," Robin said and the two tried to get close to them. They were at least 50m (164 ft.) away from them. While they were heading at them, Noire shouted at Laurent like a lion trying to intimidate with a deep roar.

"I'M SICK OF YOU YOU MORON! I'M SICK OF YOU!" She shouted. She then took an arrow out and held it tight in her hand. Without hesitating, she struck his chest and Laurent fell on the ground, screaming. His wound was painful and spread throughout his entire body. He felt like he couldn't breathe and soon he saw blood trickling down from the wound.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 6: Illusions_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! We're back with another chapter. I hope it is a satisfying one. I got to say that I felt really good writing it and I also have a lot more to tell, so I will try everything to get the next one up tomorrow. Stay tuned :) [edit: it seems like every time I "promise" to upload a chapter at a certain date something will go wrong and slow me down... But I'm positive it will be released at 1st of July.

Also, a small disclaimer I stayed up until late night again to finish it (it's like a tradition now...). But don't worry I'll check the small mistakes when I wake up.

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear..

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_


	16. Chapter 6: Illusions (II)

**Illusions (II)**

* * *

"So you saw yourself dying. I bet nobody liked what they saw. Anyway, where in the world is… Rob! I've found her!" Owain said surprised.

"I guess were late… Laurent found her first," Robin said and the two tried to get close to them. They were at least 50m (164 ft.) away from them. While they were heading at them, Noire shouted at Laurent like a lion trying to intimidate with a deep roar.

"I'M SICK OF YOU MORON! I'M SICK OF YOU!" She shouted, took an arrow out and held it tight in her hand. Without hesitating, she stroke his chest and Laurent fell on the ground, screaming. His pain was sharp and spread in his entire body. He felt like he couldn't breathe and soon he saw blood trickling down from the wound.

"What are you doing? _No_!" Owain yelled in desperation. The myrmidon and the tactician couldn't believe in their eyes. Soon, they ran to aid their friend. Noire after seeing them coming towards her, panicked and decided to flee. Robin saw her running away, understood her intentions and bravely said, "No, you're not going anywhere. _Elwind_!" At once, from the palm of his hand semi-circular shaped beams of light were created and targeted the young archer. Noire, petrified, couldn't avoid the hit. The bright green beams found target and carried her away. She fell in the muddy ground with power and thought it was better for her to stay there.

Robin then raised his hand up in the air and shouted, _"Arcfire". _Then, a hot sphere made by pure fire was thrown at the sky. It travelled high, until it exploded in the air like a firework. It was his signal to the others that he had found her. Who would have known that things would turn out this way? Robin wasn't just calling them to come and pick Noire; he was desperately calling for help. Laurent was still unconscious on the ground, bleeding to death.

"Should I take the arrow out of him?" Owain asked in panic. "Answer Robin!" He yelled.

"No. Absolutely no! It will make the bleeding worse. We should wait for Brady to come. Unfortunately, he's the expert on these…" He responded worried. "Damn it! Where is everyone?" He asked mad.

* * *

"Hey! Look who woke up! How you've been feeling today?"

"Argh… Hey Robin. What happened? Where am I?" Laurent weakly asked confused.

"You were severely injured. Noire hit you with her arrow, remember?"

"Right. How couldn't I?"

"Owain and I found you unconscious and immediately asked for help. We wouldn't let you fall there. Soon, Cynthia with Sumia came and provided the best of help."

"But in reality ya were damn lucky to live. You scared the life outta us pal. If that pesky arrow had got deeper it would have ripped your heart. So that's a reason for ya to celebrate today. But do me a favor and give your self some rest. Anyway, I'm outta here,"

"Hey Brady wait for me," Robin urged to tell him. He turned to his Laurent and said calmly before exiting, "Everything is fine; my friend; you don't have to worry about anything. Just relax and when you're feeling better we'll leave this place, which is probably tomorrow."

"Rob! Be careful. She's pure evil," Laurent told him with his remaining strength.

"I'll be back, my friend. Just do as we said," Robin told him assertively.

Robin followed the blonde priest outside of the tent. Laurent took a deep breath and tried not to think of his injury, but felt curious and silently checked himself. Apparently, his friends had carefully brought him in this large tent and he was lying on a comfortable white sheet. The place of his wound he was covered by hand-made bandages. Having nothing to do, but rest, he followed his friends' advice.

Robin caught up with Brady.

"Hey Brad! Thanks for earlier," Robin told him.

"No prob man. It was my pleasure. I know Laurent for quite Damn! I still haven't recovered from the water…"

"At least we had something to drink. I swear I wouldn't have lasted for another day," Robin confessed.

"You too are damn Sorcerers. If you can create fire from nothing, I don't see why not water, as well. Think of it. It could solve our biggest problem."

"I hope I would. I don't know if Laurent has managed to pull it off, but for me it seems impossible. Unless…" Robin's face lit. He looked at Brady with a silly smile on his face.

"Where's Lucina?" Robin asked cheerful.

"I believe in her tent. Why?"

* * *

Robin approached Lucina's tent and stood outside. He looked at the sky and waited. He gazed at the sun that was ready to set and the approaching clouds that wanted to hide the stars for the night. He sighed worried of what would follow.

"Lucina? May I come in?" He asked calmly. Lucina responded positively and Robin eager came inside. He found the young Exalt chatting with the red haired mercenary.

"Uhm… I apologize if I'm interrupting anything. I should come at a later time," Robin said and decided to exit.

"Robin wait! I was ready to leave, that's why Lucina told you to enter in the first place. So you two have fun," Severa said and left the tent. As she was passing the entrance their eyes locked. It might have been just a couple of seconds, but or Robin that moment lasted for quite a while. She gave him a warm look and Robin blushed. He was also surprised by her reply, which was nice and calm. He had learned to always expect the worse from her, but he knew that she had a soft side hidden deep inside her. And the origin of her nickname would be the key to find it. When this moment ended he was left alone to discuss with Lucina.

"Is Severa all right?" He asked seriously.

"As far as I know yes. She came to apologize because she was at her tent when the hex's effects took place. She felt guilty of not protecting the others."

"Wait, the hex was casted on everyone who drank the water of the pond. Also, I saw her drinking the water with my own two eyes. How couldn't she be affected by it?"

"She told me that the effects of the hex have yet to appear to her. You remember that she was the first to help us wake everyone up, along with Cynthia and Nah, right?"

"No, I didn't notice that," he responded.

"So Robin… Do you also remember about the thing I wanted to talk to you about?" Robin discreetly gulped. Her words caught him off guard.

"Yes… No, I mean no. Which one was it again?" He said reluctantly.

"Yes. In fact they were two things. First I wanted to discus with you what we should do about Noire, and then about the location of the next sphere."

"Oh! Yes, I remember," he said relieved. "About Noire, I believe we decided to interrogate her first. Owain and Inigo are watching over her at their tent and they are probably waiting for us. We were lucky that Laurent wasn't severely injured. Brady said he'll be on his feet tomorrow morning and we'll be ready to leave by then," he continued.

"Right. I still can't believe such a thing happened. I mean we might know Noire for not as long as everybody else, and we knew about her second personality, but who could possibly think that something like this could happen?!"

"It was a shock for all of us. Imagine if Owain and I arrived at the crime scene too late. Shepherds' would have taken a serious blow. But why do you believe such thing happened?" Robin asked.

"I have no idea Robin. You know Noire and how shy she is. It must have something to do with the water. Meaning it could have that _inner demon_ she's been talking about awoken. I can't find of any other reason," she replied.

"Do you believe she could betray us? She might be with working with Grima, if you think about it. The guys told me that her mother was from Plegia and had a twisted personality too."

"Robin… Anyway forget it. Let's leave the assumptions for after the interrogation. Now, I also wanted to tell you where the next sphere is. The map says it's at a place called _the Valley._ Does it ring any bells?"

"Nope. I've never heard of it. How dangerous could it be, though? It's… a valley!"

"That's what I'm afraid of! But you also know that this temple looked like a piece of cake too, and we ended up close never leaving that place."

"Look, I accept that I was wrong there, but if we solve and understand the riddle faster this time we should be able to take precautions."

"I guess… But this one doesn't make sense," she said.

"Maybe it doesn't at first. But when we'll examine it later, it might do. Speaking of spheres I believe I've solved the water problem."

At that moment they heard footsteps outside of the tent. Then Inigo stepped in and yelled, "Robin, Lucina we've been waiting for days. Owain and I can't be watching over her for the whole day. Robin! You said you'd go for a quick visit on Laurent and look where you ended up being. Lucina! Your cousin told you twice to come and he's still waiting for you, so we can finally know what freaking happened between Noire and Laurent. Our tent _now_!" Robin had never seen Inigo that aggressive. His face had gotten red, as he pointed at the exit of Lucina's tent.

"Inigo, relax. I know you're stressed to find out what happened. And believe me that I'm too, but we should calm down first and not yell at each other. Lucina, Inigo is right. We should go." Lucina nodded.

Robin and Lucina entered the tent that Noire was held. He found the archer sitting on the ground silent and sad, with the two swordsmen standing next to her, with their arms crossed, showing no emotion.

"Finally you're here! What took you so long?" Owain asked. Robin decided not to respond. Instead he took a seat next to the girl and calmly began talking to her.

"How are you Noire? I feel very sorry for all these to happen. Guys! Quit the angry look, Noire is a friend of us, not an enemy." Immediately, Inigo screamed, "A true friend does not hit his friend with an arrow, right in the heart. You know something Noire? I'M sick of you and your manners." Inigo then left the tent. The young lady burst into tears. Her sandy brown eyes were wet and streams of tears run down her soft cheeks.

"Robin, it's not what it looks like," she hesitantly murmured.

"Would you like to shed a light on us?" Robin replied as calm and polite as he could. He tried to show her that he was not her enemy and that he wanted the best for her. Lucina tried to interfere, but Robin with a quick hand gesture told her not to.

"I can't Robin," Noire said with more salty droplets seeping from her eyes. She felt powerless and all she wanted to do was to cry.

"Why?" Robin asked curious.

"Because _he_ will kill _me_! Please understand."

"I'm afraid I can't Noire. If you tell me, I swear I'll offer you protection," he said in an assertive tone.

"You can't," she said shaking her head "Nobody can. Not from him. Not now."

"And how do I know that this isn't more of those tricks of yours? Why did you attack Laurent? I need you to tell me so I can trust you!" He told her emphasizing in _trust_.

"No Robin. I prefer having you all against me, rather than facing him."

"Who is he Noire? Morgan? Grima? For goodness sake Noire, who?" Robin cracked. He couldn't pretend he was calm and smooth anymore and thus he shouted at her. This caused her talisman to react to her feelings. Her misty eyes turned red and dry. Also her pendant glowed a bright red light. She gave a mean look at Robin and screamed, "DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH?"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 6: Illusions_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! Better late than never! (I wonder how many times I will say that...) So I quickly read through this chapter and I noticed there were some "holes" like when Laurent wakes up, or when he visited Lucina. These were on purpose because there was no point in describing the whole process, again and again, as I did with Robin before. Also, I know in this chapter dialogue parts dominate, but it was just for this chapter.

\- Yup. Their next destination is the infamous _Valley._

_-Responses to recent reviews:_

_1):_ Hutch McDavish! Thank you for reviewing. You mentioned that Owain is "falling" for Robin, which technically means that he's in love with him. I can assure that this isn't true. There's no Yaoi or Yuri in this fanfic. :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_


	17. Chapter 6: Illusions (III)

**Illusions (III)**

* * *

"Who is he Noire? Morgan? Grima? For goodness sake Noire, who?" Robin cracked. He couldn't pretend he was calm and smooth anymore and thus he shouted at her. This caused her talisman to react to her feelings. Her misty eyes turned red and dry. Also her pendant glowed a bright red light. She gave a mean look at Robin and screamed, "_DO YOU WANT TO KNOW THE TRUTH?_"

Robin saw Noire's transformation and gulped. He chose to not engage a battle with her since that would be any helpful. With a hand gesture he tried to tell the others not to attack either. However, both Lucina and Owain held their blades from the grip. Owain particularly pressed his blade's handle with great stress, because he had no idea what was going on in front of his eyes. One of his friends wasn't she anymore.

"Yes, Noire. I want to learn the truth. There are a lot of things at stake, right now and your help is crucial. So, please will you tell us the truth?"

"_SILLY MORTAL. OUR PLAN IS BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS. THE DARK LORD WILL SOON CONSUME THE LIGHT AND DARKNESS SHALL FALL IN THIS LAND ONCE AND FOR ALL. THE FIRST STEP WAS MADE WITH YLISSE'S FALL, AND THE NEXT ONE WILL BE THE FINAL. NOTHING IN THE EXISTENCE WILL EVER STAND IN OUR WAY…_" The voice inside the woman said with fury. Robin listened to it closely, while staying en garde.

"Your way? Noire what are you even talking about?" Owain yelled.

"_SILENCE MORTAL!_" The archer said with a deep voice.

"Owain… I don't think that she's Noire," Lucina told him. Robin who listened to her shouted at archer, "What have you done to Noire?"

"_THIS ISN'T IMPORTANT. MY JOB IS TO ELIMINATE ANYONE THAT WILL STAND IN OUR WAY…_"

Robin couldn't hear any more. He instinctively took out his tome and murmured, "Wind" At once; a stream of air was produced by his magic at headed at the archer. Noire's eyes glowed brighter. She seemed unconcerned by his attack. She raised her hand with will, while her talisman produced a strong red light. Right before Robin's eyes, the wind stopped. Noire silently moved towards Robin.

"_YOU ARE THE TRUE MYSTERY HERE ROBIN, NOT ME. YOUR ORIGIN IS THE QUESTION THAT YOU SHOULD BE ASKING._"

"Y-You know about my past?" Robin asked confused.

"_I DO!_"

"Then tell me! Who am I? What am I? W-…"

"_I WON'T._"

"That's enough! Answer me, now!" Robin said in fury. He tried attacking her one more time. This time he was cloaked by a red aura, much like Noire. He wasn't looking at any of his tomes, but focused on his enemy. "Bolganone," he shouted in anger. Immediately, the ground beneath Noire started to crack and open wide, like a fissure. Hot streams of air and smoke came out, at first.

Owain who stood next to the tent's exit feared of what was about to happen. Robin had just used one of his weird, but extremely powerful magic attacks, much like he had done against Morgan. This time it was different. He wasn't protecting his friends. Robin was surprisingly guided by his anger.

After foreseeing an upcoming disaster Owain pleaded at Robin to stop. "She's playing with you Robin! Stop! Please!"

Robin turned his head back and looked at Owain. Robin observed the fear in the vibrant myrmidon's eyes, the cold sweat running down his forehead and his sword hand twitching in stress. But it was too late to undo his actions. From the earth's opening, a violent eruption occurred with the burning fire aiming to incinerate its target. The young girl burst into flames and let the fire embrace her.

"Noo!" Lucina screamed in devastation. Owain rushed to protect his lord. He grabbed her from her waist and fell at the ground together, with him on top. He was using his body as a shield to guard her with the best way possible. Then, he turned to Robin and shouted him to stop. Robin stood still watching nothing but the fire destroying everything it burned. Soon, the tent caught fire and threatened to expand and harm the others.

"Robin! Listen to me! Stop!" Lucina said desperately trying to make him end his madness.

In a blink of an eye, something that could be described as a miracle happened. The blazing flares disappeared. But Noire hadn't gone anywhere. She stood right were she was still with her eyes shut. Robin, Lucina and Owain looked amazed at her. Her skin looked unharmed and Robin's red aura had faded away. He felt again powerless against her. Powerless to protect his friends. With a quick move she opened them and stared at Robin. Her look seemed more menacing than ever. She slowly walked towards him and said.

"_FOOL! YOU ARE NO MATCH FOR ME!" She told him with her deep voice. "I CAN'T ANSWER YOU, BECAUSE YOU WILL DISCOVER YOUR PAST YOURSELF! BUT… I CAN'T LEAVE WITHOUT FULFILLING MY JOB…_" She continued. At once, she said: "_Goetia_" Suddenly, black clouds of corrupted darkness infused with masses of bright purple lighting gathered around Robin. Before they surrounded him he shouted at his friends: "Run!" But, Owain and Lucina chose not to. She quickly got up and unsheathed her Falchion and stood by for battle, and so did Owain.

Then, the darkness violently exploded. Robin felt his whole body burning, but most importantly he screamed from pain after experiencing a fierce piercing right in his heart. The tactician's body couldn't handle the ache and he fainted. Soon, the darkness dissolved and the possessed Noire knelt down at Robin.

"_AND I'M NOT NOIRE_," she whispered before vanishing into thin air.

* * *

Robin slowly opened his eyes and looked around him. He was right where he had fallen unconscious. Owain and Lucina were taking care of him, as it seemed. Feeling weak and disoriented he asked them what happened after his fall.

"Nothing really. Just that Noire or her "inner demon" escaped. While you were unconscious you were sleep talking," Owain told him.

"You begged to be killed Robin." Lucina told him seriously. "Do you remember what nightmare made you say that?" She asked him.

"I don't. The last thing I remember is that I questioned her about my past and that she refused to respond. I can't recall anything else. Ugh… my head feels weird. What happened to me?" He weakly asked.

"You engaged a battle with Noire. It appeared that her talisman controls her body and soul and gave her incredible strength. She was practically brainwashed," Owain explained.

"What? So we got more questions than answers… Any ideas where she has gone?"

"No Robin. But I know where we should go. You remember that she mentioned that the dark lord had a plan right? We have to find Tiki as soon as possible and warn her about these. Sticking to our plan is the only way of surviving," Lucina said before Inigo stepped in, looking stressed and worried.

"Good Grief! We heard shouts and explosions. There was even a fire! What happened here?" He asked troubled.

"There are a lot to explain, but everything is good, for now. " Owain responded.

"At least, she didn't finish what she started…" Robin thought.

"So Lucina… I believe it's time for us to solve the next riddle. Owain, I need you to explain to Inigo what happened and warn the others too," Robin told him after regaining full consciousness. "We don't know what she is about to do and we need to be prepared," he said. While he was trying to get up, Inigo told him, "Robin… Before you leave with Lucina, Laurent asked to see you. He said it was important."

"Alright I will visit him," Robin said, and also thanked Lucina and Owain for their help. "Right after I see Laurent, I will come over to your tent Lucina. We've got work to do."

"Right," Lucina said and nodded.

Robin quickly left. While he was walking his way to Laurent's tent the rest of the Shepherds' members approached him, asking him about what happened. Robin reluctantly answered and decided that it was best for them to speak with the others instead.

Soon, he reached Laurent's tent. As he was about to get inside he suffered from a painful headache. He felt his head heavy and a sharp pain in his skull. He tried to overlook it, and entered the tent. He found Laurent resting. He tried to overcome his pain and decided to speak.

"You wanted to see me Laurent?"

The mage opened his eyes and responded, "Yes, Robin. I wanted to ask you what happened with Noire? Did she get punished for her actions?"

Robin was confused. "Punished? Why?"

"Because she tried to kill me, Robin! If it weren't for you I would be dead right now!" He said angry.

"Laurent! What are you talking about? Noire is our friend!" Robin said defending the archer.

"I warned you she's pure evil Robin! And look at what happened! I heard explosions and screams. But I warned you… I did."

"And how did you know about her condition?" Robin asked serious.

"I noticed her strange behavior when she was wearing her talisman. I may know her for a decent amount of time, but I never saw her wearing this. If I remember correctly it was a gift from her mother. Anyway, I went to the woods to find her. She saw me and tried to run away. I followed her and I tried talking some sense to her, because of her action. However, she ignored my words and started screaming. And then I found myself with an arrow in my chest. Look Robin and please understand. This Noire isn't Noire. She's different and dangerous. We need to stop her once and for all!"

"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Laurent, she's our friend! We can't leave her behind and kill her. We must help her! That would be the fair thing to do!"

"Don't tell me what's fair and what not Robin. She tried to murder me. She's evil. And I'm sure you already know yourself. You can't lie to yourself Robin."

"Stop it Laurent!" Robin yelled. "Everybody deserves a second chance. I'm pretty sure that she didn't do it on purpose. She must have been brainwashed by the talismans demon. She needs our help Laurent." Robin said and left the tent in fury. The tactician couldn't believe how many problems could occur in a single day. But, there was only one person that could help him. And he had agreed to meet her.

* * *

"Lucina, may I come in?" He asked calmly.

"Of course Robin. I had been waiting for you. Is everything fine with Laurent?" The young lord asked. She was sitting carefully examining the map.

"He can't forgive Noire for what happened. Even though I told him she isn't our enemy."

"Uhm… Robin. You were the first to attack her."

"I was… I remember now!" Robin said I'm sorry Lucina. For all the trouble I caused. It's just I'm desperate to learn more about my origin. I roughly sleep at nights. I can't stand the idea of being someone bad."

"Robin, it doesn't matter who or what you were. What matters is the _choices_ you make from now on. Our choices are the ones that define us as people. You choose to help and create then you become a hero. You choose to destroy then you become Grima. But right now I choose to work hard and find a solution for our next destination. Are you ready?"

"Yes, I am. Thank you for reminding me of that."

"I'll always be here Robin, in case you ever need anything. So would you like to hear it?"

"Sure," Robin responded calmly.

"Here it goes: Over fire and over land, over seas and sand, shining like the sun's light, or like the moon that shine's at night. Under the sacred ring, right where I conquered the king, you'll find me die, or at least you'll try…"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 6: Illusions_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! I returned from my short hiatus. I was extremely busy those days, but I've finally got the time to write a new chapter. And I'm positive that I will update very soon, because that chapter ended up short and i have more free time these days...

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_[edit]: I apologise for the huge 2 week delay. I'm terribly sorry and be assured that the new chapter will be finished by 26 of July. Have a nice day everyone :/ _


	18. Chapter 7: Soul of Darkness

**Soul of Darkness**

* * *

"Here it goes: Over fire and over land, over seas and sand, shining like the sun's light, or like the moon that shine's at night. Under the sacred ring, right where I conquered the king, you'll find me die, or at least you'll try… Do you have any idea what could it mean?" She added.

The riddle confused Robin as, at first, didn't made any sense. Still, he wasn't in a situation of thinking about the meaning of the riddle. His mind was at Lucina's previous words: _"Our choices are the ones that define us as people."_ Was it true? He agreed. From now on he would try to become the person he wanted to be, leaving his darker past behind.

"Robin?" Lucina discreetly asked again, as she noticed that the tactician was lost in his thought. Robin immediately came back to his senses.

"Y-Yes," he faintly said.

"Any idea?" The lord asked. The tactician shook his head.

"I don't have a clue, but Lucina…" he said.

"Yes Robin," She responded curiously. Robin's face looked serious.

"Do you recall what you asked me when I woke up, after Noire's hit?"

"I do Robin, as Owain does too… _What made you…_" she murmured.

"…_Say I want to die_." He said, creating a situation of awkward silence between the two. Robin took a deep breath and continued.

"I replied I couldn't remember, but I lied." He said lowering his head in remorse.

"What? Why?" She asked surprised.

"When Noire, or her _inner demon,_ hit me with the dark magic, I felt like a strong and sharp blade pierced my heart. I experienced an imaginary scenario like in the temple. That when I got up from the hit, Noire was gone and you and Owain were hit too, but…" He said, as he was on the verge of tears but decided to control his emotions.

"But you… didn't make it. Y-Your bodies lied on the ground full of injuries and covered in blood. I tried to call for help and I quickly left the tent. I desperately tried to find an elixir, a staff anything. I cried for help, but I got no answer. I knew that something was wrong I searched everywhere, but the only thing I found was the corpses of my comrades and the emptiness of my soul. In those times of grief, Noire's demon appeared in front of me. I yelled I should be dead. I begged her to take me in your place, but she laughed at my request. Then I felt my body burning. I had surrendered to my rage again and I tried to confront her again. Before I did anything she disappeared, with everything around me too. It was my time to wake up. You couldn't imagine my relief when I realized you were alive. Even if the slightest of my nightmare was true I…" He stopped talking. He didn't have anything to add.

Lucina heard the tactician's dream and felt sad for him. She tried to comfort him.

* * *

After discussing about his dream, and their mission for a while, it was the time for the man to leave, but before he did an idea flashed at his mind.

"Lucina, do you remember our water supply problem?" He said bursting from excitement. Lucina nodded and he continued.

"Can I have the blue stone of legend?" He asked calmly. Lucina got up and revealed a small wooden box. She cautiously handed it to Robin. The tactician held it with care and carefully opened it. As he did, a stream of blue light flooded his face. The enthralling sea blue sphere fascinated Robin. He was gazing the sphere, unable to take his eyes off it. It seemed to him that inside the sphere its light depicted the boundless oceans or the vast sky.

Robin took the sphere and kept it in the palm of his hand. He turned at Lucina and said: "We could use it. It must have the power to either produce or purify water. So, we could use it to break the spell casted on the pond." Lucina was left speechless. She stared at Robin while she was also thinking his words.

"I guess we could try it. I suppose we don't have anything to lose," she replied.

"Alright. All we need is a small bottle," Robin said fired-up.

Robin and Lucina left the tent and followed the path to the pond. He was following this path for a second time. He didn't even want to remember the previous time and what the water caused to him and his comrades. This time he was determined to turn the existence of such water in his favor. If the sphere had the power to break the pond's spell, the Shepherds would never again search for water. Soon, after walking for several minutes, they reached the enchanted pond. It looked like a lone oasis in the middle of a great and barren desert. It had a few weeds around it, as well as tree trunks without leaves, and the ground wasn't solid but mostly muddy.

"I never thought I'd come back here again," Lucina told him.

"Me neither, but if my plan works then we'll be grateful that we did," he responded.

Robin reached closer to it and asked Lucina to give him the small bottle.

Robin knelt down, without worrying of getting dirt and slowly, but steadily, he tried to fill the bottle with the pond's water. When he did he told her: "It might had caused us troubles, but we can't say for sure that we won't need it in the future. It might prove useful. You never know…" She agreed.

Next it was time for Robin to fully test the sphere's purifying powers. He got the wooden box from his pocket and opened it. Robin got the glaring sphere out and held it tight in his hands. He turned at Lucina.

"Let's hope for the best," Robin said nervous for the result. He took the sphere and proceeded plunging it inside the water. At once, the sphere started glowing and the pond's water was filled by the sacred stones azure light. Robin closed his eyes, due to his reflexes, and opened them. The light was no more. "That was indeed easy," he thought.

"Robin! Was our plan a success or not?" The lord asked. Robin looked unsure.

"There is only one way to find out," he responded confidently.

"You don't mean…" She said surprised.

"Unfortunately, I do. There isn't any other way," he said, while taking a deep breath. "And to be honest, nothing really bad happened the last time. So, what could go wrong, if we failed? Either way, I know that I have you by my side, ready to help," he said with a smile. Lucina nodded. Robin took the sphere out of the water and placed it back on its box. He closed it and sighed. He rolled up his sleeves and sunk his hands in the pond. Instantly, he felt the cold water freezing his fingers and the chill proceed deeper inside him. Robin then used his hands to get some water out of the pond and fill his mouth with it. The water's taste was different. He felt its sweetness and he was refreshed by it. Now it was the time for the final test. He picked up the wooden box and got up. Robin quickly checked his surroundings. Fortunately enough he didn't observe anything strange or unreal.

"How do you feel?" Lucina asked inquisitively.

"I'm feeling… good! I believe it worked!" Robin said thrilled.

"Thank goodness. Robin you outdid yourself this time," Lucina smiled warmly.

"Oh, well, I had a lot of help from you too. So I can't take all the credit myself. But I really appreciate it, thanks," he said. "Now, all we have to do is inform the others," he added.

"I agree. Also, there is still one question remaining. Can the sphere produce its own water?"

"That remains to be seen. But I can assure you that I will work hard to figure out how," he said.

"I know Robin. I'm grateful for that."

"You don't have to. It's my duty, after all we've been through."

Lucina smiled and stared at the tactician. Robin felt his heart racing once again. Even though _Azure_ stone's color and light fascinated him by remembering him the oceans or the sky, when he was looking at Lucina's eyes, he felt like he was already sailing the seven seas or already soaring the sky.

"I believe we should head back," Robin added ending the silence. The lord agreed and together they headed back at their camp. It was time for them to pack their things and prepare for their next journey to the _Valley. _But first they needed to take some water supplies, at least until Robin found how to produce water from _Azure_.

* * *

When they returned to the camp, they surprisingly found their comrades gathered together, as they were spectating an event. Robin curious to find out what was going on he got closer. He found Yarne with his eyes closed shut.

"Hey what is going on?" He asked.

"They're training. Oh… I can't look. I might even get part of this fight… No no…" He said worried. Robin knew about his timid nature, but never quite experienced it in first hand. He tried comforting him.

"Yarne who's fighting against who?" Lucina asked.

"It's S-Severa against O-Owain. They're training to become better when they'll face Noire again, but they don't use our wooden replica swords…" he reluctantly said. Robin and Lucina got deeper to get a closer look. As it seemed the two Shepherds were exhausted from fighting. The others had formed a small circle around the two.

"I'm not done yet Owain," the mercenary yelled.

"Then bring it on!" He responded. "Radiant Dawn!" the vibrant man cried, moving against Severa. He was sweating heavily, but continued to practice nonetheless. He opened with a fore hit. The mercenary parried it. She drew her sword back and decided not to engage immediately.

"Pathetic…" She muttered.

Owain's eyes frowned and he decided to run at her. He jumped in mid air and tried to strike, but Severa defended herself again. When Owain landed on the ground he found himself in a very difficult situation. Severa had already predicted his move, so she responded with a low kick. She hit him dead on the back of his knee making him fall abruptly.

Severa held her trusty blade on his neck. She had won.

"Dead," she told him mockingly. "If you're to fall down that easy then…" She tried to continue, but Owain rolled over and freed himself.

The anger in his friend's eyes was clear. He saw the determination to win. But she predicted his next reckless move.

Owain run again at Severa and jumped in mid air. He attacked with a vertical slice, with the mercenary parrying the hit again. She assessed the situation and figured a plan to win again. Severa tried to finish the game with a low kick, but found Owain blocking the hit with his fist. The myrmidon pushed her, with power and Severa struggled to maintain her balance as she walked backwards. Owain rushed at her, screaming. He attacked with a quick horizontal hit, leaving Severa open and defenceless for the final blow.

And then Robin saw it. He understood that Owain wouldn't stop. He understood that he would proceed to execute his move to its fullest. But it was too late.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 7: Soul of Darkness_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** ... It's good to finally be back... it feels ages... Sorry for the long wait. My schedule was super rough and I wasn't able to write full time. I hope this chapter is satisfying enough. In the next ones we'll find out what happened in the Valley and it's importance to our story. Stay tuned because this time I'll do what I must and try to update as soon as possible!

**-**Oh my... Recently we hit (and even surpassed) the amazing number of 50 followers! Such an incredible milestone couldn't be left unnoticed. It might seem unimportant to you but for me it means a _lot_. It shows me that my hard work and effort I put in those chapters is paying off and I really can't thank you guys enough for sticking with the story. That's what inspires me most... :) I can only say that the best is on the way. From the bottom of my hear "Thank You."

-Replies to recent reviews:

SwordKArt! Thank you for finding the story unique, but this story isn't based on a love triangle. It was my fault not making this clear earlier. It's just that Robin hasn't been completely honest about his emotions to himself. Also, I like to maintain the suspense of who the woman in the prologue is, because when you already know with who the main character will end up with, the story will focus only on the relationship aspect from one point and on. Personally I believe that: "It's the journey and not the destination that matters," that's why I haven't revealed the identity of the woman in the prologue yet. Either way, I'm grateful for reading through the story. :)

Guest! Haha... Noire needs some love indeed. It's funny to know I contributed at a 0.01% in your decision for making her your wife in your next play-through :P

Last, but never least Hutch McDavish! Thank you for reviewing again! Don't worry. More answers are on the way and the "half fun" that was lost will return ;)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_[edit]: Next chapter 30th of July :) _


	19. Chapter 7: Soul of Darkness (II)

**Soul of Darkness (II)**

* * *

And then Robin saw it. He understood that Owain wouldn't stop. He understood that he would proceed to execute his move to its fullest. Immediately he tried to prevent the upcoming disaster, but it was too late.

His sword was lunged towards her. It made a "Shing!" noise as it slipped the air. All Severa could see was his sword coming fiercely towards her. She was consumed by fear. The unexpected attack resulted in the sword hitting her dead on, severing her flesh. The pain, tinged the area of the wound, caused her to scream. In all of her life she had never experienced being violently pierced. Her trusty katana fell from her hand. The only sound that could be heard was the metal hitting the ground. Though, this wasn't the sound that echoed in Robin's ears. It was Severa's scream. In reality it was just a mere of milliseconds, but for Robin it felt like time had stopped flowing.

Owain removed his sword from her body and was left immobilized. His angry face became a face full of guilt. From his blade the cold blood ran down to the ground, just like the chilly sweat on his forehead. He couldn't believe what he had just done.

Robin couldn't stand watching it. He rushed at the mercenary and pleaded his friends for help. With Severa bleeding in front of him, he fell at his knees. He was holding her head in his arm softly, while pressing her wound. Severa quickly began to lose consciousness. Robin couldn't but burst to tears.

"Look at me!" He yelled at her, as his tear ran down his left red cheek. His heart was racing. Severa didn't seem to respond.

"Don't do this to me! Please!" He screamed again and quickly turned around to search for Brady. Unfortunately, he wasn't there to be seen.

Then, like a miracle Severa regained her senses, but was too weak to move. With great difficulty, she spread her hand at Robin's cheek and stared at him. Their eyes locked and with all her remaining strength she tried to murmur her last words.

"Robin, I… I…" She didn't finish. Soon her eyes had closed. Her hand helplessly fell, but Robin held it with care. He quickly lowered his head to check her heartbeat. Then stared at the skies and left a shout, which sounded like a roar. The Shepherds lowered their heads mourning their loss.

Out of the blue, Brady came and knelt next to Robin. The young priest had brought his staff.

"It's not too late," he said. "There's still a glimpse of hope left," the priest continued. He brought his staff close to her wound. This one was quite unusual. Instead of Brady's signature staff, which was golden with a crescent shape tip and a blue sphere on it, he had brought a complete different one. In comparison with his other one, this staff had a wooden base and middle and on its tip a darker blue sphere.

He closed his eyes and soon the sphere started to glow. Its bright light made Robin and Brady close their eyes. The rest of the Shepherds were closely looking at them afraid of the outcome of their actions. Owain did too.

When the light faded, Robin opened his eyes at once and checked her heartbeat. "It can't be!" He screamed and began compressing her chest.

"Again!" He yelled at him.

Brady's look was different. From the look in his eyes, Robin knew he had lost hope. The priest didn't move.

"Again! Damn it!" Robin shouted with anger. Brady brought the staff close to her wound again. Although, the wound was closed as a result of their previous action, Severa didn't respond. Again the light was strong enough to force them to close their eyes.

When it faded, Robin moved his ear close to her chest. "No! It… I-It can't be!" He said and continued compressing her chest.

"Again!" He ordered Brady, who tried one last time. This time the sphere's light was stronger than ever, as it was boosted with the light of hope in each of the Shepherds' hearts. When it stopped Robin, filled with hope and courage, moved his head again above her heart. He felt his own pumping like crazy and wished the same happened to her too. After examined her, he raised his head and turned at his friends.

"Robin?" Brady asked in suspense. The tactician was speechless. He lowered his head and let the tears in his eyes fall like raindrops on November rain. He held her in his hands, trying to wipe the blood on her face and caressing her fire red hair. Inside Robin the light of hope was gone. It was superseded of the hot fire of anger. It was exactly as with Noire. An inner force, a darker one, had driven him to attack. Now the darkness in his soul clouded his head and let the fire inside him burn more with every second passing.

Robin stared at the mercenary's face. He moved his lips close to her cheek. He kissed her and held her in his arms.

"She's gone Robin. Let it go…" Brady told him, having tear in his eyes as well.

Robin slowly and carefully left her body lie on the ground. He got up and gave Owain an angry look. The vibrant swordsman couldn't even look his friend at his eyes.

"R-Robin, everyone… I-I… It wasn't my fault," he tried to explain losing his words from his nervousness.

"And whose is, Owain? Whose?" He yelled.

"Robin please… Y-You have to listen to me… I'm no-"

"You're… dead." Robin replied coldly. The tactician let a powerful red aura cloak him. He embraced the power given to him by his emotions and was ready to attack. Robin let the darkness in his soul take control.

"Robin! Please!" Owain screamed in fear. The tactician could listen or feel. His friends rushed at Robin to make him stop. Like Owain before him, Robin wouldn't stop. He spread his hand and created a psychic barrier around him. The dim, but powerful red light that covered him, didn't allow anyone get near him. Robin walked slowly towards Owain.

"Valmflame…" The tactician murmured. Out of thin air, great masses of fire were created. Robin used his hands to direct them the way he wanted. He used his powers to create thousands of arrows made of pure fire. With great force he spread the palm of his hands at his friend. Owain defenseless accepted his fate and closed his eyes, ready to face the blow. The arrows were sent at great speed towards the swordsman. He didn't try to escape or dodge the hit.

As the arrows got closer, Owain felt the presence of someone near him. He opened his eyes to see his cousin, with her legendary sword raised, defending him. Suddenly, the fiery arrows stopped moving right in front of them.

"You have nothing to do with this. Leave!" Robin shouted.

"Stop it Robin! This isn't you!" Lucina told him. "Fight back Robin! Fight back the darkness inside you! The darkness that you're afraid of!" Lucina continued.

"This has nothing to do with all of you!" Robin screamed as an even greater mass of fire was produced. This time it seemed like an ocean of fire. The Shepherds didn't even dare to approach them. Deep inside, Robin heard a voice. "_Finish them Robin... Fulfill the meaning of your existence…_"

"Fight back Robin! Fight it back!" The young lord pleaded him. The stream of fire, which seemed now endless, came at them like the water of a rapid river destroying everything in its path. The fire fast approached the two and vaporized Lucina's last stream of tears.

* * *

"Fight it back Robin!" The tactician heard as he opened his eyes. Quickly, as he regained his consciousness tried to check his surroundings. He was still lying at the forest, close to the pond. Lucina sighed in relief.

"It appears that your idea didn't quite work," she told him.

"Thank goodness you're okay!" Robin said and rushed to hug her. "How's Severa? How's Owain? Are they alright?" He asked impatiently.

"They're fine. Everyone is okay. You can relax. What did the illusions made you see this time?" She responded.

"An absolutely horrible nightmare," the tactician said. He took a deep breath and asked her how long he was being asleep.

"Not much. Don't worry about it."

"And… What happened?"

"We were about to leave the pond, but you started to feel dizzy. I realized Azure didn't work, as it was supposed to and you suddenly fainted. It took me a while to bring you back to your senses, but I'm glad that you're fine now," she said relieved.

"Thank you for taking care of me," Robin said. "I apologize for my stupid ideas…" He continued.

"No no no. They weren't at all stupid."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that the pond's water level rose significantly!"

"That means…"

"That your stupid idea worked! It may didn't purify the water and break the spell, but when I looked at the pond again, it was overflowed by water. Congratulations Robin. You've just solved the water problem!"

"We did it?" The tactician asked. Lucina prideful nodded bringing a long needed joy in his heart.

"But Robin…" Lucina said. "What did you see this time?" She questioned. Robin hoped he wouldn't come at the position of answering in detail. Of course he knew what he saw. But how would he confess that he surrendered to his inner demon? Where would he find the strength to tell her that when Severa died in his arms he let the darkness inside him kill his best friend and her? Robin couldn't possibly find the strength to answer those questions.

"There is absolutely no need to discuss this right now Lucina. What we should do is head back to our camp and celebrate our discovery, while though we'll be finishing with leaving. The _Valley_ awaits us," he replied. Lucina agreed and the two started to take the road back to their friends.

When they returned to the camp they surprisingly found their comrades gathered together, as they were spectating an event. Robin curious to find out what was going on he got closer. He felt his heart racing and was shocked to see Owain and Severa fight.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 7: Soul of Darkness_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! It's good to be back. I know this chapter had a big turn of events, but **please don't spoil it in the reviews for our other fellow readers.** Sorry if it felt a bit short, its because it is being read alone and not in continuity with the previous one, but nonetheless I hope you liked it :) In our next one Shepherds will finally take the road to the Valley.

-Replies to recent reviews:

HutchMcDavish and fellow Guest. (For Guest) I'm undeniably delighted to hear that the previous chapter made your day. It feels rewarding for me and a step closer in achieving my dream. So... about Polygamy... ehm... All I can say is that the "skeleton" of the story is already determined and thus the final pairings. If you meant polygamy as "Robin has two dames at the same time" (three including Nah :P ) then (sorry if I disappoint anyone) but no. I never had that in mind. But if you meant that Robin might felt affection for both of those two dames then yes. What will happen from there? Just trust me with the story ;) Like I said earlier "it's the journey that matters, not the destination."

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time (Next chapter 6th of August -it's final), please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

I had a small problem with this particular review from a fellow Guest... I tried to remove the spoilers, but in the end I redirected it here:

_**(Contains Spoilers)**_

_Guest:_

_This chapter made my heart race so much even though at the end it was just an illusion . And thank goodness you ' re not doing polygamy that would be terrible . Anyway great chapter and can ' t wait for the next update ._


	20. Chapter 8: The Valley

**The Valley**

* * *

When they returned to the camp they surprisingly found their comrades gathered together, as they were spectating an event. Robin curious to find out what was going on he got closer. He felt his heart racing and was shocked to see Owain and Severa fight.

The young mercenary held her katana tight, while she wiped the sweat from her forehead. She looked tired, breathed fast, but heavily and seemed not be able to continue. On the contrary, the vibrant swordsman, while he looked exhausted as well, was eager to continue training.

"Stop!" Robin shouted as he ran at them. The tactician wanted this fight to end. He wanted not to make his nightmares come true. As soon as he got closer to them he approached Severa and right out of the blue he spread his arms and gave her a warm hug, surprising everyone. Robin felt he needed to do so, because you don't know what you have, until it's gone. He suffered in that dream. He let his dark side take control, but he learned that he had one, which was important as it explained some of his recent strange acts. However, could those illusions turn out to be true? Did they ever resembled reality or just his subconscious?

"What's the matter with you? Let me go!" Severa yelled annoyed. She pushed Robin back and gave him an angry glare. Robin, on the other sighed and smiled.

"Robin! Are you alright?" Lucina curiously asked. She got closer to Robin and held him from his back.

"Hey Rob! Did something happen?" Owain asked too.

The tactician shook his head feeling that he should explain himself. "Everything is good," he replied warmly.

"My tent now!" Lucina ordered him sensing that something wasn't right. The two left their comrades wondering what happened. Nah stared at Severa. The mercenary shrugged her shoulders in response and told Owain to continue.

* * *

"Robin are you alright? The first thing you did when we came back was to prevent Owain and Severa from their training," Lucina questioned him seriously this time.

"Lucina I'm fine. I honestly don't know why you made such a big deal out of it," he said while he exhaled. The tactician told the half-truth. He was relieved to see Severa alive, training with his friend, but wanted to know more about his darkness inside him. His previous actions were something more than a mere instinct. He cared for her, even if he tried to deny it. Faking a smile again he tried to hide that emotion from Lucina.

"Robin, I'm really tired of asking this question, but I need to know. What did you see in your nightmare?" She asked desperate to get a clear answer. "I want to help you Robin. Since we entered the temple you've been acting weird. Is it because of your fears?" Robin couldn't hide anymore. It was the time for him to confess what he really felt and what he feared. He thought that indeed by discussing about it something good would happen.

"Ok. If that's what you want to do," he said. "In my dream, we returned back to the camp and found Owain training against Severa. Suddenly, though, Owain got carried away from the fight and delivered her a deadly hit. I tried to do something… Help her with Brady, but even his staff wasn't enough. She died in my hands, Lucina. And I swear this dream looked so damn real, unlike anything I've ever seen, just like inside the temple," he continued. His expression was full of guilt and sadness.

"Robin…" The young lord murmured.

"And then, I lost control. I saw the blood in my hands. I… I… became what I always feared of becoming. I tried to punish Owain from what he did, but you stepped in to save him. A brave but pointless action, since I…" He didn't have the strength to finish his words. He felt like something took his breath away, just as he was about to complete his sentence. "The nightmares get worse Lucina. And you saw me how I acted against Noire or Morgan. Next time I might hurt you," he continued.

"We've already made this discussion Rob. You won't hurt me or anyone," She reassured him.

"And why's that?" He silently asked.

"Because I know you're a good person. It may sound strange, but from the moment I found you on the village I knew there was something special about you. It was a mere hunch, but it proved correct. You risked your life to save me on so many times and you still would. And the way you reacted to Severa's death meant that you held feelings for her and any of your comrades. I don't care how you became that strong. I don't care about your past. I care about our future. And together we can change it. So forget about what you see once and for all and let's focus on what actually happens. About our next destination."

"I understand," Robin replied with a cold tone. As he was feeling the cold inside his soul, Lucina's words made a dim, warm light appear within him. She would always make him feel that way. As he embraced the positive aura, he was inspired to work to solve the next riddle. "Thank you Lucina, for everything," he smiled and gently took the map. He stared at it with caution. It fascinated him with its vibrant golden-like color. He closely observed the drawings in it, which included the places, the different landscapes and the small details. On the part where the word _Valley_ was written he read the riddle for one more time.

_"Over fire and over land, over seas and sand, shining like the sun's light, or like the moon that shine's at night. Under the sacred ring, right where I conquered the king, you'll find me die, or at least you'll try."_

"The word try must indicate our action to find the next sphere. But in order to do so, we must _try_ to _kill_ someone or something, as indicated by the word die," he thought, but still had a lot to figure.

"Personally, I don't believe that every word of it must make sense. We must find those key words and prepare ourselves," she told him.

At that moment Robin looked at the map again. This time he focused only on their next destination_, _the_ Valley_. Something particular caught his attention. Close to there the tactician observed a strange symbol. It was black and closely resembled a dragon. "Could it be?" He thought.

"What is it Robin? Did you find something?" She asked.

"Lucina look. Right here is supposed to be the Valley right? Well judging from this symbol here it might be a Dragon Valley."

"Hmmm… I know about a Wyvern Valley and that's in Valm. So, you're saying that the Valley will be filled with dragons, if not wyverns?"

"Pretty much. Gerome could enlighten us on this one. I know about only one Wyvern and that was about to set me on fire…"

"No you're wrong. Back at the village Minerva did the exact opposite. It hesitated to even move when she got close to you."

"Oh…" Robin said and paused. As the two were sitting inside their tent, the sun's golden ray laminated the room. He understood that the sun was setting and that it was time for the night's darkness to fill the land. The tactician decided that it he should rest as well. Before he could say anything he saw Lucina holding the Azure. The young lord cautiously put it in its case.

"We did it," Robin smiled as he approached her. "It was a small step in a lengthy road," she reluctantly responded.

As the sun had set, Robin then got up thanked her for her support and previous words, wished her good night and stepped his way out of the tent.

* * *

When he went outside, Robin got a look at the night sky and the darkness that surrounded him. The tiny twinkling stars looked like small dots on the inky canopy. "This day had everything," he said and decided to head back to his tent and rest. The dim light provided by the bright moon and stars lightened his way back. As he was walking his way there he was calmed by the night's quietness. He was only listening to the sound of his boots hitting the ground. Everyone seemed to have returned in their tents too and sleep, except from those who had the duties of night watch.

"Psst!" Robin heard out of nowhere and was caught off guard. To his surprise he saw his friend Owain appearing from the dark.

"Hey Robin! I knew I would find you close to Lucina's tent. Don't tell me you're actually going to sleep?" Owain said in his own energetic way.

"Ehm… You know I thought I was," Robin tried to explain he needed rest, but the swordsman insisted.

"Rob tonight is going to be legendary. During the night guard we will gather around the fire and have a good time. There will be Inigo, Brady and me," he said looking impatient.

"I guess I can't do otherwise." Robin sighed and followed the young myrmidon. Before he knew it Robin found himself sitting around the fire with the other three discussing for all sorts of things. At that time, Robin saw next to Brady his mysterious case. He looked overprotective with this case and it seemed important. Robin was so curious he had to ask what was inside. The priest smiled and kindly responded: "It's my violin."

"And how did you learn to play it?" Robin asked amazed.

"I was very young when I started. My mother insisted on training me to become skilled in noble pursuits. It included horseback riding, proper etiquette and practicing the violin. Well, I hated all of it. But at one time, my parents and I went to see a live concert. I remember it like it was yesterday. It took place on this huge building; there was this amazing chandelier full of candles, which lightened the stage. Only the elite could witness such an event. Even king Chrom was present that night. The fellas that performed were part of the royal orchestra. If you were one of them you had everything; fame, money, everything. Anyway, as I was listening them play I felt weird, like I couldn't breathe. The majestic sound of the violin carried me away. I hadn't heard anyone playing that good. The crowd even cried at their performance including me. From that moment I fully devoted in reaching that level. But…"

"But what happened?" Robin immediately asked.

"Brady got these pretty scar on his face," Inigo interrupted. Brady gave him an angry look and continued.

"But while I was practicing somehow one of the strings snapped and cut me in the eye. This injury got pretty badly later so I dumped practicing it and the other nonsense ma' was trying me to do. Eventually it gave me this scar, which scared the ladies away."

"You don't need a scar for that," Inigo murmured.

"Shut it Inigo! Ya're the womanizer here who ten out of ten times gets rejected," Brady furiously yelled.

"Just because you don't know how many women got charmed by me, doesn't mean that I'm getting rejected," Inigo said and winked.

"Paaah ha ha ha…" Brady and Owain laughed their heads off, causing Robin to be in an awkward silence.

"But for the record the true womanizer here is… Robin!" Inigo said and pointed at the tactician.

"Wha-What do you mean?" The tactician said and blushed. "I knew from this night nothing good would come up." He thought.

"Oh, come on don't play it fool on me. You're obviously infatuated by one of our ladies here. And I dare to say that you like the cold-hearted ones," Inigo winked again, at him this time. Robin didn't know how to respond to this. His face got even redder that Severa's hair and he felt his heart pumping like crazy. But to be honest, even he didn't know if Inigo was right.

"Wha…? That's nonsense, I'm not head over heels for Severa," he desperately tried to explain.

"Who mentioned Severa?" Inigo winked at him again with a weird grin on his face.

"Would you stop doing that?" Robin yelled annoyed.

"Wait there Inigo, Robin might be right on this one. I'm willing to bet anything that the one that stole his precious heart must be… our lord," Owain said, causing the others to giggle.

"Oh come on Owain, you know that's not true," Robin said.

"How's so Rob? Ya two spend days together. But we want to warn you pal. Just don't," Brady told him.

"Yeah, that's true," Inigo confirmed. "She rarely smiles and since Ylisse's fall she's devoted herself to restore peace that even neglects herself. We've tried to calm her down, but our actions never seem enough. She would never let herself fall in love. As for Severa she will never open to you or anyone, no matter how many hugs you give her," he continued and laughed heavily.

"Yeah Rob, what was that? Everyone was just shocked, especially Nah." Brady informed.

"Ehm… It's a long story… But I acted instinctively. I had just seen a weird illusion from the ponds water…"

"You drank from the pond again? Why would you do that?" Owain asked confused.

"I had that crazy idea that the Azure gemstone we got from the temple could purify it and then we would refill our water supplies. I volunteered to test if we succeeded and for my bad luck had an illusion. In it Severa died in my hands, so you can imagine how relieved I felt when I saw her alive again," he calmly responded.

"Still Rob. That doesn't explain the hug. If she meant something real to you, you would actually do that," Owain said. He was right, after all. Robin was still uncomfortable with this conversation and had to switch subject.

"And Brady… When did you got back to practice the violin?" He asked ending the awkwardness he felt.

"Actually, I never let it. I always had this dream of performing in a huge stage. Only musicians and dancers are able to do so," he informed. "When I play the violin I feel like I'm separated from the world. I can't hear anyone, or talk to anyone. When I play all of my fears and worries leave me and I find peace again."

Robin couldn't but be amazed by the priest's words. Then Brady cautiously opened the case with care. He got out the string instrument. It had strings made of catgut and wooden neck and body. With his soft fingers he stroked the organ with such care like he was stroking the finest animal fur. And then he held and positioned it. He got the bow and began playing it.

Robin's heart filled with emotions as he heard the wondrous tune spilled out into the night's air by the bow graciously gliding across the strings. To Brady, it was more than a song. It made Robin feel such emotion that he and the others could barely handle to listen to it's marvellous sound. He felt like he understood Brady's feelings by the melody, which graced his ears.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 8: The Valley_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! First things first, please don't spoil the story in the review section. Let's respect those who haven't read the story :)  
Oh... boy... I know what you'll say... "J.D.! You said 3-4 of August! What happened?" Truth is fellow readers that I suffered from a huge writer's block. It happens... But nevertheless I was also infected by a DNA-virus which made me suffer from a skin disease as well. This got me down for a while and I wasn't feeling good or inspired to write. Thankfully, I feel better now and when I wrote this chapter and reminded myself why I enjoy writing so much. That's why this chapter is a "Jumbo" size one (always compared to previous ones). I promise all the action return in the next one as our team will reach the Dragon Valley and face something that you might remember from one previous chapter...

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-NoNameAvailable Bis: Thank you for reviewing! I'm glad you find this story interesting. As you saw yourself no single event in this story is left unnoticed or without a reasonable explanation behind it. I believe that anything on a story must be based on logic, so I try to limit the plot holes to zero. So you know that Robin's presence in this timeline is very important, as well as how he got here in the first place. That's all I can say for now... :) I hope you enjoy the story and stick until the end.

-HutchMcDavish: I thank you for your kind words. It's always a pleasure to hear good comments.

-and fellow Guest (the one with the 2 comments): Thank you for reviewing. Hmmm you have to trust me on this one. I've already thought of every possible outcome of the story, which will leave everyone satisfied. :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)  


As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_


	21. Chapter 8: The Valley (II)

**Valley (II)**

* * *

Robin remained silent and took a closer look at his opponent. He gripped the hilt of his practice sword and prepared himself for combat. It was time for his usual daily practice, but...

"Oh boy… Why did I accept this?" Before he could finish his thought, he saw Kjelle coming at him with rage. She came with fury and tried a forward attack with her lance. Robin came to his senses quickly enough to dodge the hit with his sword. "Damn it. I should also have the weapon disadvantage. That's enough Robin, Focus!" The knight blocked Robin's attack with ease and used her lance to push him away.

"Go Rob!" Owain cheered. "Go Kjelle!" Inigo then said, causing Owain to look at him in a slight angry way.

"What?" Inigo asked surprised. "You're absolutely hopeless. You can't leave your womanizer attitude away for even a second. Kjelle is being Kjelle and tests Robin's skills for the first time. If we don't support him he might end up…" Inigo then interrupted him.

"Relax. This is just a practice battle. Don't make such fuzz about it. Go Kjelle!" He smiled towards her. Owain sighed and continued to watch their fight.

"At least their using practice weapons. How did we even persuade Kjelle to use them?" Yarne asked curious.

"We didn't. These were the only weapons lying around here. She found Robin and immediately asked him to spar with her," Owain explained.

"Why don't you attack me back Robin?" The knight asked. "She's right. If I keep defending it will get me nowhere. Plus, she can't seem to get exhausted. Hmmm… She even wears this heavy armor and relies on brute force... That's it!" Robin thought.

"And… Rob wins," Owain told Inigo with a smile of satisfaction on his face.

"What? The fight isn't over yet and he hasn't made any serious attack," Inigo said hoping the swordsman was wrong. "Look at his face. It lit up instantly. If I didn't know him, I would say that's nothing, but for Robin that means that he has found a winning strategy," he explained.

And he was right. At once, Kjelle rushed at the tactician with her lance. She was aiming on using her power to by-pass Robin's defense and knock him down. Then with the use of her long lance she would immediately aim on his throat. That wasn't the case. As she was coming at him she tried to attack with all of her strength. Robin who understood what she would do, once the time was right he evaded her hit and attacked from behind, which resulted her falling on the ground. The sound of the metal hitting the ground was the sign of her defeat. Robin quickly immobilized her by pointing his sword at the back of her neck, as he had planned.

"… I yield. You win Robin," The knight told him. "`I challenged you to test your skills Robin, I even thought of you as a craven for not accepting immediately, but you proved me wrong."

"You're a truly talented fighter Kjelle, but your strategy is frail. You rely too much on brute force and it can easily be turned against you, just like this time. I won only because I knew your weakness; don't forget I've seen you fight. However, a skilled opponent will understand it too and it will be the last time you'll ever be able to yield again," Robin informed her. He was relieved that their fight was over and that they would continue their journey towards the Valley.

"Fascinating match."

"Hey! Look who feels better today!" Yarne said with a cheer. The young mage greeted his comrades and friends. He could walk with more ease, but the wound in his chest would still hurt.

"It looks like Robin found out about Kjelle's weakness on their first game. Fascinating indeed," Laurent murmured.

"Laurent!" Robin yelled and rushed to meet his friend.

"How are you feeling today?" The tactician asked curious. The mage was eager to respond. "I'm surely better than yesterday. Brady's staff did wonder's, as expected of course. However, the place of my injury sometimes still hurts. So, do you feel any better? I heard you had a bad dream again."

"It's good to hear you're getting better. And yes I'm feeling great today, as I had fun yesterday night," Robin responded calmly and was about to go to pack his last things before leaving for the Valley.

"Robin wait," Laurent urged too tell him. "I should apologize for my behavior yesterday. You wanted to help and I was mad due to being injured. You were right. Noire isn't our enemy. Her demon is," the mage admitted.

"I'm glad we share the same idea on this subject. I'll catch up with you guys later," Robin said, waving his hand and left.

* * *

After a while the Shepherds were back to business in saving the world. It was time for them to leave the temple and the cursed pond in order to reach the dragon valley. This would be their final destination before heading to meet again with lady Tiki. The journey wasn't as long as their previous one. They spent half the time needed to get there. The Shepherds walked several miles of distance until they began sensing that they were getting closer and closer to the next gemstone.

"Halt everyone!" Gerome ordered. The wyvern rider was atop Minerva watching the skies like Cynthia with Sumia next to him.  
"What is it Gerome?" Lucina asked curious. The rider had paused on the air without making a single move. He then raised his arm and confirmed that they had indeed reached their next destination, the Dragon Valley. They only had to go down the hill. In front of them a barren land with little trees or even green expanded. Robin was amazed by how sad the place looked and how beautiful it could have been without Risen's interference. Also, he made out some black figures on the horizon, as well as many small wyverns flying over the valley.

"Now where do we go? I hardly see any temple," Nah told Robin. As they stood close to the hill's end, they heard Cynthia coming from above. She ordered her Pegasus to land and the elegant animal obeyed its master. When it did the knight got down and approached her sister.

"Any weird sightseeing? Something that could resemble a temple?" The young lord asked with curiosity. Her face looked pale, as she was exhausted from their travel.

"Nope. All I saw was dragons. I guess that's why it's called the dragon valley. Hehe," she giggled. Robin thanked the Pegasus knight and asked her one last question. "Did you spot any black figures maybe, or shadows resembling men?"

"Uhhhm… not really, no," she shook her head. "Aright." Robin thanked her. He turned to Nah and told her that since there weren't any clues as to where the next stone might be they should check the map again. Lucina took out the wooden case from her bag, opened it and spread the map on the ground. 

"Over fire and over land, over seas and sand, shining like the sun's light, or like the moon that shine's at night. Under the sacred ring, right where I conquered the king, you'll find me die, or at least you'll try."

"It's over fire and land." Nah noted. "Yes, and the fact that it mentions try with die means that we should kill someone or something to get it," Robin added.

"Fire could mean the wyverns and dragons. They can breathe fire right?" Nah asked rhetorically. Lucina nodded. "I believe we should be looking at something that is shiny and above the dragons, something circular, thus the ring," she said. Robin then took the word, "Since the gemstone is undeniably precious and legendary, we should be thinking of how we would hide it. Remember how the map was cleverly placed. So… where would I hide such treasure?"

"I believe the question is who should guard it," Inigo said. "We should be looking at the place where most dragons live. Then, because there are lots of them, we know that they're indeed guarding something," he continued.

Lucina then turned her head on the sky and shouted at Gerome. She ordered the wyvern rider to get down to them and inform them if he, this time, spotted anything odd on the valley's creatures behavior. The rider gently touched Minerva's neck as a sign of his order. The dragon that understood perfectly the son of her first master flapped her wings and lost height. When the wyvern touched ground her master got down and approached his lord.

"Yes, I did," the masked man responded positively. "I noticed a strange pattern at some of the wyvern's flights, like they were flying around a circle, with the center being there," he said and pointed at the spot.

"The sacred ring?" Nah asked. Robin shrugged his shoulders in response. "Probably," he added.

The Shepherds continued their road to reach the entrance of the valley and get closer to the dragon's circle. The walked for hours until they reached the bridge that connected the Valley with the outer world. It was a long one, built by large specially crafted wooden pieces side by side, which created a small road. From each side there were two thick and strong ropes for safety. The bridge's width was enough for a person to safely cross it. They walked one by one to make sure it wouldn't fall apart, due to their huge overall weight. While the tactician was trying to pass it as well, he couldn't do anything but look down. The sight was frightening and seemed like there was no end to it, due to the bridge being built so higher from the ground. "Imagine falling from here," he thought.

After crossing the bridge they had officially arrived at the Valley. The endless dark brown land spread in front of them with the dead trees looking like corpses covered it.

As they walked Robin's boots made strange sounds like something cracked under his feet with every step he made. He ducked and tried to see what was the deal with it. He noticed that on the dry ground there were some sparkling sand-like crystals.

"It's salt. Which, to be honest, shouldn't be that impressive. Salt is the best material to make a land truly barren. Whoever is responsible didn't just burn this place, but also ensured that nothing will blossom here, now or ever, in the distant future," Laurent explained to him. "It's a shame that something such precious would be used for the destruction of the environment," Laurent told Robin.

"That would also mean that Risen have already passed from here," Owain noted. "But surprisingly they didn't kill the dragons," he added.

"They don't need to. Dragons and wyverns can reproduce here, due to the fact that they are so many and thus newly born dragons or older can be collected for Grima's aerial forces." Laurent explained. Robin felt odd with Laurent's last sentence, like something didn't quite add up. He turned at his lord and murmured her his fears. "I have a bad feeling about this. Something is wrong," he told her worried.

"What do you mean?" She asked curious. "I don't know, but something feels… weird," Robin said. The young lord told him that they should better stay alert in case anything happens.

The Shepherds continued walking towards the dragon ring, with the two riders flying above them. However, as they did some wyverns and dragons noticed their presence and approached them. The legendary creatures flapped their wings rapidly and approached them in fury.

"Eeeek! We've been spotted!" Yarne cried in fear and rushed behind Kjelle and her sturdy armor. "You coward!" She yelled at him annoyed and looked at Lucina. The lord hadn't lost her temper and shouted at Gerome. The masked man understood her words and quickly ordered his beast to fly close to his comrades. Minerva opened her large mouth and gave a terrifying roar. The dragons slowed down, but continued moving towards them. As they did Robin felt his head aching. His pain immediately spread to his body and he fell on the ground.

"Robin!" Nah screamed. His friends urged to help him get back at his feet, but the beasts continued their approach.

"Brady! Take care of Robin," Lucina ordered him at once. The priest got closer to Robin and tried to figure out what happened to him.

Lucina took a deep breath and told her comrades with determination: "Shepherds, it looks like we don't have any other choice. We have stand up and fight!"

By the time she finished her words, the dragons and the wyverns had reached them. They were two dragons at the size of Minerva and three wyverns smaller than her. Lucina waited calmly and quietly to see what they would do.

As Robin was still in pain he fell on the ground again. At that moment the tactician felt a tremendous power flow through his body. The earth shook fiercely. The earthquake was so strong that the dry land started to crack under them. No one was able to maintain their balance and helplessly hit the ground with force. 

"What in the world?" Inigo said in fear. His body was shaking and his eyes were rapidly moving. Suddenly, the earthquake stopped and Robin's headache as well, although, the creatures were still towards them.

"What… What did just happen?" Yarne asked. The taguel's hands were trembling from the shock. Lucina turned at him and responded: "Vert happened."

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 8: The Valley_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! How you've been? I apologise for the short chapter, it's really late for me (I even slept above the computer :P ) and I thought that a short chapter is better than none... I hope I update again tomorrow (not a week later) and create a big action-packed and satisfying chapter that will be nice to read. Stay tuned :) [Update: I finally got time to review and edit this chapter :) Enjoy]

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-Plegian-king-Robin or Daraen-dragmire: It's good hearing from you again :) Haha I guess there's only one way to find out...

-HutchMcDavish: Thank you for your kind words. They really made my day. I try hard to create quality chapters and change your mind about the "average-story" part... :) There's a great action scene coming up with the next chapter which I believe readers will fins it satisfying.

-and fellow Guest: Like I said above, I guess there is only one way to find out... :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors (Especially this time since I stayed really late to finish it... busy day :/). No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_


	22. Chapter 8: The Valley (III)

**The Valley (III)**

* * *

_Important notice: To those who read the last chapter, please view it again from the second half, as I have edited it and added 600 more words in it. Thanks._

* * *

"What… What did just happen?" Yarne asked. The taguel's hands were trembling from the shock. Lucina turned at him and responded: "Vert happened. It can't be a mere coincidence, but the doing of the earth's gemstone, Vert".

Robin immediately noted: "Then there are two possible scenarios. One, somebody controls the sphere as we speak. Two, it can unleash its power on its own."

As they spoke the dragons approached them. Their intentions were anything but kind. Lucina, having seen her enemy from afar drew her Falchion and prepared herself for battle. The others did too. The beasts roared as they made a step closer to the Shepherds, pressing their fearsome feet on the dry ground.

"Wait! Are we sure we want to do this? I mean the beasts can be tamed right? What if they're the guardians of the sphere and test us?" Laurent commented. Either way he was already holding a fire tome at his hand, just in case he was wrong. Gerome, who was close to them, immediately told his comrades, in an assertive tone, to fight back.

"What did you find Gerome?" Nah asked curiously. The masked man who had just landed responded: "Their eyes."

"Huh?" Nah did and looked straight at the dragons' heads. She quickly noticed something strange about their eyes. They were glowing red with no iris, something that wasn't possible. "What in the world have we come up against?" She asked while her heart started beating fast from fear. The red hooded girl dug her hand deep in her scarlet circular bag. She sighed. Although deep inside her she feared of the beasts she tried to suppress her negative emotions and put a brave smile on her face, a smile that would give her chances of surviving and protecting her friends. Robin who was closer to her, now could barely stand up on his own. Although he struggled he told her: "Gerome is right… Look around you. This is a barren land for years. How can live exist here when there's nothing for animals to eat? That's why the existence of those dragon's bugged me."

"So you're saying somebody sent them? Nobody knows we're here!" She said with a surprise smile on her face. Robin shrugged his shoulders and tried to hold a tome on his own. Nah along with Gerome soon spread the word to the others.

"The legendary swordsman against the army of the Risen dragons! My sword hand is twitching! Come on Mysteltainn, destiny beckons!" The vibrant swordsman burst from excitement. The mercenary next to him yelled at him annoyed and calmed him down. Soon the Shepherds under Lucina's commands created an attacking formation. They were divided into two lines. In the first one there were Lucina, Gerome, Cynthia, Laurent, Owain and Kjelle. In the second row there were the rest of the Shepherds. Nah stood close to Robin and helped him with his moves.

The beasts were twenty meters away from them. In front of the lord's eyes the two large dragons started to expand their wings. They had dark leather skin, which looked sturdier that of the finest sword's tip. The dragons had a large head with two horns on each side and shard teeth that would make Owain's sword jealous. They didn't have arms though. Their hands were at the top of the large wings. While the wyverns decided to fly, the two dragons remained on the land and a light from their belly appeared. "It's coming…" Lucina thought nervously. "Shepherds! Now!" She ordered and her comrades rushed to fight the beasts.

"Minerva! Let's go!" The masked man shouted at his best friend and soon they got high enough to face the wyverns.

"I trust you Sumia. You and me together forever!" The young Pegasus knight murmured to her trusty animal. The Pegasus responded with a whinny. Cynthia held her steel lance in her right arm and decided to face the wyverns immediately.

"Don't worry Nah, I'll protect you," Robin smiled at Nah. The young manakete giggled. "That's my job, remember?" She said and pulled from her bag a bright green stone. Robin was amazed by its dazzling gleam.

* * *

Soon their battle began.

Lucina urged in the front line to face the dragons along with Laurent. They fought side by side, like they had paired-up for that battle. The lord tried to find the beast's weak spots with a quick glance. She slashed quickly delivering two blows on the dragon's foot, before Laurent tried to finish their battle with strong wind magic. What Lucina understood was that the beast's skin was not only as hard as for only the Falchion to cut through it, but also that it resembled any other Risen's. Although she had cut the dragon's right leg, the beast didn't feel even the slightest pain. Instead it's belly lit up and Laurent casted a wind spell in response. A terrifying wind tried to bow the dragon away. It lost its balance and fell on the ground creating a loud sound. Lucina, who was anticipating its fall, was already close to the dragon and without hesitation decapitated the monster, ending its life.

Moments before Lucina killed her beast, close to her and the mage, Owain along with Kjelle fought their dragon as well. The knight held her sturdy armor with ease and provided support to the swordsman. She was holding a steel lance, which wasn't particularly heavy and improved her flexibility. Owain saw the fire, coming out from the beast's chest, heading to the neck. He immediately warned Kjelle for the dragon's attack. The Shepherds, who were behind them in the second line, saw the dragon preparing its next attack too. Robin immediately felt like he someone pulled the rug from under his feet and was at a complete loss. He froze staring the fearsome dragon trying to launch fire and burn alive his two friends.

At once, the manakete held her dragonstone tight. It started to glow intensively, and so did her body. Robin couldn't believe what he was seeing. The young girl's body was embraced by pure light. Her comrades instinctively closed their eyes, because the light was too strong. Two luminous petals that had the same bright pink color as her eyes cloaked Nah's body. For a second the valley was field with bright white light, as when a thunder strikes the land. Then, a noise, which sounded more like an explosion, was heard and the petals were gone. All that was left was the jaw-dropping view of a fuscia dragon. She had thin arms and legs that had sea-foam green circular membranes under them. Her wings were thin as well, without wing fingers, only with the same bright membranes like her limbs. Lastly, her head was fuscia colored as well, and her eyes were mint green. Without wasting even a second, Nah opened her large mouth and instantly attacked with a fireball on the Risen dragon, right before it could attack. The beast roared in response and used its wings to blindly attack its surroundings.

Kjelle, who had taken cover alongside Owain prepared their next attack. Kjelle took a glimpse of the dragon's movement. "That damned dastard," she murmured. Owain surprised to hear her couldn't remain speechless. "What is Kjelle? Are you alright" He quickly asked curious to find out what happened to her.

"It's the dragon! I know how to kill it. Robin was right," she revealed. Owain didn't respond, but recalled her fight with Robin. He smiled and nodded. Kjelle then heard Lucina screaming from determination as she cut her dragon's head. The knight understood that it was her turn to act the same. She shouted at Nah to aim for the dragon's wings and the manakete listened. The dragon was hit again, stopped its wing attack and furiously tried to respond. Its belly lit up for another time hoping that this time it would let the fire out of it. Soon the dragon saw Kjelle coming towards it. It turned its spiky neck and moved it close to her. Due to its relatively large size the dragon focused on hitting her only and rushed at the knight. It used its brute force to strike Kjelle and leave her on the ground forever. The dragon was a few steps away from her, lowered its head and expanded its neck to reach her. The knight gulped after witnessing the fire burning under the beast's rough skin, but opted to bravely attack it as well.

"Now Owain!" She screamed and as the dragon's head was only a couple of meters away from her. The knight started running left from the dragon. The beast was too large to change direction in just a second. Thus, Owain, screaming, jumped from behind and sliced the dragon's neck with a blow. At once the beast turned into ashes and disappeared out of thin air. The two comrades sighed from relief, but the fight wasn't over.

Up in the air, Gerome and Cynthia fought for their lives as well against the three wyverns. Fortunately, Gerome was close in defeating one of the three wyverns, but Cynthia had to deal with the other two. Both riders had been high in the air fighting over the beasts. The Shepherds who didn't engage in battle with the two dragons tried to help the riders by giving them information about the wyverns' movement. Lucina and Laurent reunited with Robin and the others. All of them looked exhausted, but they had to complete their mission. They had to find Vert. Lucina ordered the remaining ground forces to search the land for the "dragon circle", while she checked up on Robin.

"How are you feeling?" She calmly asked. The tactician couldn't respond, because Brady interrupted. "He's fine. He had a pain in his head, but he's better now and-" The priest hadn't even managed to finish his words, when Robin started running away from them. Robin rushed at Nah.

"It's Cynthia! She's in trouble!" She urged to say and got on Nah's back. The manakete, in her dragon form tried to reach with Cynthia. Gerome was too far away to help her, as he was busy with his own wyvern and Sumia, her Pegasus, seemed hurt from her fight. The tactician rialised that it would be impossible for Cynthia to defeat the two wyverns all by herself and he had to act.

Nah flapped her wings with great force to get close to Cynthia and immediately decided to launch a fireball. The wyverns, due to their smaller size than dragons can maneuver in the air to evade hits. At that moment Cynthia hit with force a wyvern that got close to her. The lance stuck deep inside the beast and she was unable to get it out.

"What! Impossible!" She screamed from terror without being able to understand how the wyvern had survived. Suddenly, Sumia cried from pain making Cynthia losing control of her.

"Noo!" Robin yelled as he watched the wyvern's sharp teeth cutting the Pegasus' flesh on its stifle. The thick dark red liquid oozed out of the wound and streamed down her gaskin, with some droplets falling on the ground.

The first wyvern pushed itself back and Cynthia lost control of her weapon too, which remained stuck on the wyvern's back. Then, the second wyvern let go of the Pegasus's leg and soon Sumia started to lose height. Nah attacked with another fireball and this time the wyvern was just barely able to avoid being hit. Robin then took his own tome of wind out and screamed: "Arcwind!" Immediately after he casted the spell a tornado appeared and fiercely moved towards the two wyverns. As it travelled across the air it carried them away and the wyverns were trapped inside it. Nah flew with might not to get trapped as well and succeeded in it, as she flew away from the tornado. Cynthia though was falling in the ground with great speed as she had lost her consciousness from the shock. Sumia on the other could barely still hold Cynthia on her back and they were separated, while they both were falling above the land. The Pegasus was several seconds away from hitting the ground first.

Nah was close to Cynthia and decided to run after her but Robin urged to tell her not to. As he was riding the dragon's back, he swung over and started to fall as well. As he was diving in the air, he rushed to get hold of Cynthia. Being only some meters above the ground he desperately spread his arms and tried to grab the knight. Robin struggled, but in the end he managed to grab her hand and screamed: "Elwind!"

Sudden gusts of wind were formed using the help of magic. Robin was then able to slow himself down just in time before falling. That didn't mean their landing was easy. Robin hit the ground with his back while protecting the knight from going through the same. While aching from behind robin was relieved to find out that Cynthia was safe in his arms. He slowly touched her next to him and then leaned him head on the ground, looked up in the sky and whispered: "Ouch… Never do that again…" He closed his eyes afterwards. Not from far away the tactician heard shouts and noises like people running at him.

"Cynthia!" Lucina screamed and ran like a bolt to get next to her sister as soon as possible. Robin heard the sound of her boots smashing the remains of the salt on the ground. He faintly opened his eyes only to see Lucina's blue boots and later herself having knelt close to Cynthia. The lord realized Robin saved Cynthia's life and tried to thank him. "Robin… Th-…"

"No. Don't thank me. I did what I should have and I wasn't there alone. So, give Nah the credit for this one," he interrupted her. Then, the rest of his friends started to gather with Laurent and Gerome missing. Before Robin could even ask about those two, Owain explained him that Laurent was assisting Gerome in finishing the last wyvern. The myrmidon helped his friend raise his upper body up.

Robin was relieved that everything was alright, once again, but deep inside him he knew that they didn't even made a step closer to find the gemstone.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 8: The Valley_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! It's truly funny because I thought I could finish this one-two weeks ago. One of the things I hate most is when I can't control my time. At first I thought that I could have deliver it a lot sooner, but life's unpredictable. I'm deeply sorry for the long wait. I apologise again for making you wait.

I really can't thank you guys enough, all of the 71 bros (I prefer "brothers" from followers because you really are). Without knowing it, in this difficult period I'm going through, I always look back at my achievements with this story and in a magical way I feel better. Almost every time I anticipate reviews and always read them. I think that without your support and kind words, none of this would have ever happened. That's why you're like bros to me :) I'm trying my best to make it as much entertaining as possible and make my dream come true; spread some smiles with my work.

Story-wise, I hope I can upload again soon enough. I won't promise a delivery date again, but I'll try my best to upload in the next two days. Also, the "Valley" Chapter is far from over... I believe there will be two more parts... Plus, I'll try to edit this one, because I believe there might be some parts with descriptions that can confuse you... :/

-Replies to recent reviews:

-HutchMcDavish: Thank you for your kind words. I try my best to improve the quality of this story. And it's good to know that we're improving.

I knew that the second part ended abruptly that's why I've edited it and expanded it when I got time. Because I end up writing late at night, I can't always keep myself from falling asleep on top of my computer. I felt that I needed to upload at that time, because I couldn't make you fellow readers wait longer. So, I thought it might be incomplete at first, but now it's exactly as it was supposed to be.

-and fellow Guest: Nope, it wasn't a "filler". More like how I imagine Robin affects his comrades. Due to their battle Kjelle was able to find a way to kill the dragon and save herself. So, if you "connect the dots backwards" you will understand that a lot of things are on purpose, not just for filling a chapter. 

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. __  
_


	23. Chapter 8: The Valley (IV)

**The Valley (IV)**

* * *

The tactician felt his back aching from the fall, like somebody had tighten him with a rope and squeezed him until his bones break. Owain stood close to him and was eager to assist him with anything he needed. However, the tactician tried to reach Cynthia. With the help of his friend he got back on his feet and got closer to the knight.

She was still unconscious and thankfully not injured. Robin noticed the expression of her face. Although she was senseless, her look revealed her fear and stress to live. She had lost that signature smile of hers and her soft . The one that had the ability to give hope to the troubled souls of the Shepherds. But now this smile was replaced with an expression of concern and angst, and her soft Spanish pink cheeks were left pale and ivory. Right next to the knight there was her sister along with the priest.

"Her pulse is fine, but I'm afraid this is out of my reach. But don't ya worry she'll wake up," Brady commented. Lucina couldn't do anything but nod at Brady's words. The lord was worried sick for her sister. Her hands were shaking uncontrollably, but got a hold of herself. Robin may saved Cynthia from the deadly fall, but he couldn't also save her spirit, which was lost deep in her sleep.

At that time, the red hooded girl came running. She was in panic and urged to check if Robin was okay, and was relieved with the answer. As soon as she came Lucina started to speak.

"Nah, Robin… Owain, Kjelle, everyone… We've fought bravely so far, but we need to get that gemstone and leave this damned place. We've disturbed the dragons and I'm sure there are more to come," she said in a serious tone. She then turned at the manakete and: "Nah! You were correct about the previous riddle. Please make sure to find the solution as soon as possible! We've wasted so much time with this… And-" she wasn't able to finish her words. The Pegasus knight quickly opened her eyes and tried to get up. Cynthia felt her small scars cut her, but somehow found the strength to pull her body up and stand up, amazing everyone.

Robin saw how nothing of her expression had changed. The Pegasus knight was at a complete loss. She froze for a second and screamed: "Where's is she? Where's Sumia?" Much to everyone's surprise nobody had an answer to give. Her question completely caught everyone off guard.

"Where's she?" The young woman pleaded for an answer. Soon, her dark brown eyes got wet, with some droplets falling on the salt ground. Everyone lowered their heads and remained silent.

"You were all watching! H-How couldn't you see her?" She said with tears running down from her pale face.

"W-We were watching… You and Robin skydiving…" Inigo faintly admitted. "That was why we arrived here early enough to help," Owain added with a guilty face. The knight burst into tears and found comfort in her sister's shoulder. Lucina tried to calm her down.

"Wait. How couldn't we see her? That's a really good question," Nah noted. "I mean there should have been a sound from the fall, right?" She continued. "That makes sense," the tactician commented. The Shepherds then turned their heads around and looked at the sky and around them.

"Hey! Over there!" Kjelle's keen eye caught something. She pointed at a place a bit far from them. It appeared there was a figure of something resembling a wild horse. At once, Cynthia left her sister and started running at the place where Kjelle pointed.

"No! It can be a dragon! You don't have your lance… Cynthia!" Lucina desperately yelled. Cynthia though couldn't stop. She then ran with all of her remaining strength to reunite with her animal partner. She tried to cross the barren land, while the sound of her leather boots hit the ground and made a signature sound. She ran, with some droplets falling down, without minding anyone or anything.

Of course Lucina couldn't stand there without doing anything. She quickly left Robin's side and chased after her and the others did too.

* * *

Robin was one of the last to arrive, because he was still troubled by his back pain and headache. After acting in a complete irrational manner, risking their lives, while under the threat of the dragons and wyverns, the Shepherds found the girl lying on the ground with her arms embracing the white Pegasus. She softly petted her with so much care and love like when a mother looks after her newborn baby. As her hand stroke Sumia's white hair she stained her hands with her blood and the ground's dust, but she didn't care. The knight used Brady's staff to take care of the wounds. The Pegasus had large and deep cuts around its stifle and had already lost a lot of blood, as much of it already covered the ground.

From the way the winged horse lied with its back on the surface of the earth, the tactician was able to figure out what happened. It appeared that it had survived the fall, due to being able to use its large wings at the last minute to land. However, it couldn't stand on its legs it fell. Now, there were slim chances that it could also survive the dragon's bite.

Sumia cried as she was exposed to the staff's power. Cynthia felt the animal's body getting colder and colder and knew that her recovery spell was working. Thus, she finally stopped shedding any more tears and a faint smile appeared back on her face. Her sister, though, didn't act in the same way. Once she realized that Sumia's life was all right, she ordered again Nah and Robin to work on solving the riddle, but also her comrades to stay alert and contact Laurent and Gerome as soon as possible.

And so Robin got back to what he did best, thinking. Nah gave him a warm smile and approached him, looking excited. This was Robin's last try to figure out the meaning of the riddle. He decided to sit down with the manakete next to him and discuss. He felt different from when he did the exact same thing with Lucina. The woman with eyes of blue made him feel she distanced herself, with only few moments showing him her bright side. Nah although she looked accustomed at controlling her emotions she looked content working with the tactician again.

"Judging from the result, we did splendid," she said cheerful. "We saved Cynthia, Sumia and ourselves," she continued.

"I believe I finished what you started. You might not know it, but without you I wouldn't do anything. So, like I said earlier, this small win is on you."

Nah responded with a smile and said she might have found a solution. Robin told her to go on, but they were interrupted. He heard a voice, like a yell and got up. Much to his surprise he saw Severa staring at them, looking annoyed.

"You need to see this… Gerome and Laurent returned and things aren't looking that good," she revealed.

The tactician didn't understand her words at first, but then got up, easily this time, and looked at Gerome and Laurent. They both seemed troubled and were trembling, especially Laurent, which was untypical of them. Then, he took a look at the horizon and noticed the dragons' movement. It appeared that the creatures began gathering at a certain place. Soon, decades of the mythical beasts formed something that looked like a circle. The Shepherds looked at the sight with awe.

"It's like they're being controlled…" Owain murmured.

Then, once every dragon that lived there gathered they began to flap their wings and fly in a circular motion, forming this time a tornado. Suddenly, the bodies of the dragon's were dissolving and turned into a mix of a dark liquid and black dust. The tornado got thicker and stronger with every second passing. It was so powerful that could cause critical damage and barely didn't uproot the barren trees that filled this land.

"R-Run!" Yarne squeaked. Everyone was about to follow his words, but not a certain someone.

"No. Not again. Not without Vert," she said in a serious tone. "This must be the _sacred ring_! And _we_ must do something!"

The Shepherds looked at their lord with respect and will to fight alongside her for one more time. Though Robin's head played games to him. He screamed from pain and strongly held his head with his arms and pressed it to stop aching. He then heard his friends' voices, but suddenly he heard nothing. He couldn't. Robin saw the tornado starting to transform, getting a new shape. However, he felt something like a lighting bolt hit him inside his head and he closed his eyes shut.

When he opened them he found himself floating in a place surrounded by absolute darkness. He couldn't even see his own hands. Then he heard a familiar voice.

"I promised you I would kill her. I would rip her head off. I will make you _suffer_… Unless, you accept your _true_ self…"

"M-My… _true_ self?" Robin asked dazzled.

"You will soon find out… Now watch me as I _complete_ my promise…" The voice faded in the complete dark leaving Robin screaming: "Nooooo!"

* * *

When he opened his eyes his pain was gone. He quickly checked his surroundings and found himself on the top of Sumia. Although the winged horse wasn't able to fly, it could still carry a person. Especially since her leg was completely healed. Robin realized that everyone was running to take shelter, including him.

The tactician then decided to look at his back. He was petrified when with what he saw…

The dark tornado had disappeared. Carrying the souls of decades of dragon's and wyverns, those Risen creatures had now taken a new form altogether. A new devastating form. The form of a new giant dragon, five times taller than Minerva. The creature had fearsome red eyes and black skin that seemed indestructible. It had a long neck and sharp spikes that extended to its spine covered its back. Last, its hands had claws that looked like they could cut though anything with a slight touch.

The beast noticed their presence and locked on exterminating them. It opened its large mouth, revealing its pointy tongue, and instead of breathing fire, it breathed a black cloud of darkness. That cloud began to expand but was only above the ground forming a layer above the solid ground. The layer, rapidly moving like the sea, came towards them. At that point as Robin was staring at the events, his heart skipped a beat when he caught a glimpse of a figure close to the dragon, a hooded man.

The beast, surprisingly stopped moving against them, but let the stream of darkness do what it wanted. Robin after immediately witnessing all these, got down from the winged horse and shouted at everyone to retreat and leave this land immediately. He quickly looked around him and saw the bridge close to them and pointed at it, as their target.

"We have to move to the bridge and leave this place!" He said in complete desperation. The Shepherds though were unresponsive. He then shouted again at them and even yelled at Lucina that everything else they did to counter the dragon was nothing but a suicide.

"Don't you see that if we don't take the stone our hope of saving this world is lost?" Lucina furiously shouted at him.

"Don't you see that you have to be alive to save the world?" Robin shouted back.

At that exact time, his comrades' sense of boldness and braveness were replaced with their instinct of survival. They realized that there was indeed no escape and decided to ran and cross the bridge. Lucina was disappointed and turned her back on them without Robin knowing it. She was determined to get the earthstone.

The darkness waves were still coming towards them. Robin decided to help his friends cross the bridge first, one by one. Then, after urging everyone to cross it he became aware of Lucina's absence, and so did the others.

"Nah!" He shouted. "Make sure everyone crosses the bridge. I'll bring her back," he said and although he felt like he couldn't even walk he ran. He ran to bring his lord back. The manakete simply nodded at the tactician's words, but deep inside her she secretly pleaded him not to risk his life, not to die.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 8: The Valley_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! There are good news and bad news... The good news is that I finally uploaded a new chapter and that I will possibly (no promises) and honestly try to upload again soon enough (= not a week). I had to cut this chapter into smaller chapter in order to upload quickly so I've already written some of the "next" one... But be sure to tell me if you liked this twist of action... :) Bad news is that my problems devoured my time and morale... I haven't completely been cured from my disease, my work is exhausting me... :/ I was left with no real motivation to write and this slowed me a little... But don't worry I'm a man of my word and I will continue to deliver quality chapters as soon as possible. :) In this weird phase of my life I don't know what I would do if I didn't had you, my 73 friends... :/

-Replies to recent reviews:

-Axel: Well... what can I say to such a wonderful review. Your words really touched me, my friend. It is because of such words that I continue to do what I do, in the best way that I can possibly do it. A mere thank you isn't enough. Truth is that the obstacles are looking like the mountain Everest to me... and not only that but when I "cut one head, two more take its place..."  
Hmm... If my sad smile...? :/ "[..] If your sad smile and trust [...]"

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today. _


	24. Chapter 8: The Valley (V)

**The Valley (V)**

* * *

Robin saw Lucina battling the darkness and immediately shouted at her. He noticed that she had raised her falchion and battled the shadow's formation. The layer got that thick and high that had reached the level of Robin's knee. The tactician quickly casted the spell of "Archfire" and threw a fireball to assist Lucina in her battle. The fireball exploded near her and gave Robin the chance to get closer.

"What do you think you're doing?" Robin shouted at her demanding an answer. "It's pointless to fight the darkness. It's like fighting ghosts. They don't exist!"

Robin was wrong. The stream of darkness that came from the dragon's mouth was dangerous. It could trap them and fulfill the beast's intentions and Lucina had acknowledged that.

"Watch your step Robin! Don't be fooled. I sense the gemstone being near. Watch out!" She then warned. The black cloud underneath them took a shape of a large and long tentacle. Soon, decades of more tentacles appeared in front of them. Robin couldn't believe his eyes. His hands began shaking and he breathed heavily. He instinctively grabbed Lucina from her wrist and started running to reach the bridge. She immediately wanted to pull herself away, though Robin held her tight. She had no other option, but to yell at him.

"Stop it Robin! You're hurting me!" She screamed. Robin paused for a second, unable to hide his embarrassment. Was he too harsh? He thought not. He was trying to save her, because there was no way of finding the gemstone under these conditions. The cloud dragon had turned himself into an endless sea of dark mist and the height of the mist's surface grew higher and higher, even surpassing the level of his and Lucina's knees. And now it had it's own intelligence, as it took different shapes to capture them. But above all, he was afraid of his nightmares' hooded man. Both of them fled and escaped them, giving Robin the chance to talk to her.

"The only things that will ever be found here are our corpses. We need to _escape_. There is no secret tactic or anything that can help us. We didn't solve the riddle, we didn't kill any dragon. You can't defeat a foe that's made of clouds, for goodness sake! Cynthia could've been dead by it and we didn't even kill those freaking wyverns! _There is no way of killing them_!" He shouted. "Just take a look at the ground. You can't even see it because it's covered in this mist. How do I know that in any minute this mist won't attack me? So, I beg you Lucina, think of your life, think of us. Let's just _leave_," Robin said. He ended his small speech emphasizing on the word _leave_. Lucina didn't respond. She remained silent and nodded. She had accepted that this mission was a lost cause.

Robin then tried to guide her on their only way out, the wooden bridge. However, there was a small problem. He couldn't navigate himself there, since he couldn't even see the bridge. The mist was calm and hadn't taken any formation, but its level grew little by little. As they were trying to figure a reasonable way out, they decided to head at one direction. They walked for a couple of minutes with Lucina silently following him and at one point Robin turned at Lucina and confessed: "It can't be… I swear on my life, this was my way in. Where is everything?" And at the moment he turned his head at her he saw that she wasn't there. She had disappeared. He was alone.

"No! Not again. T-This… T-This is an illusion. I'll wake after a while on top of Sumia. Yes, that's it!" He couldn't even control his emotions. He was trembling from fear, shock and self-doubt. He kept asking himself, how did he lose her again. Robin desperately shouted her name, begging to hear her voice again. But nothing happened. He then tried to run away, do something that would fix things, but the valley looked like a desert, it had no end. His heart was beating like crazy; ready to explode from his nervousness and felt his head completely lost.

Robin with all of his remaining strength tried to seek for an answer and find his lord. He screamed, walked, but everything seemed the same and like time had stopped. Suddenly, as he was walking, he tripped and fell on the ground. While he was falling, he saw the light behind him fading away, as the darkness of the clouds devoured his spirit.

The tactician felt the sturdy and dry ground knocking him and he tried to get up. When he did he saw a figure standing in front of him. It was the hooded man of his dreams.

"So, we meet again… _Morgan_," he tried to calmly say. The man remained speechless and had his hood on. You couldn't see his actual face or what he wore underneath his robe. His clothes and dark clouds were in a perfect match.

"_I made you a promise," _The man whispered. Immediately, after he ended his words, Robin felt like somebody had stuck Severa's killing edge straight through his heart. He was in pain emotionally. And for the first time he could remember, his eyes started to get wet. His hand was uncontrollably shaking and he couldn't breathe. Then, starting from his left, now red, eye a tear streamed down his cheek.

"No… Please, no. I beg you! _Please_!" He hopelessly pleaded him to show a sign of mercy, but the man was silent and still. He then raised his arm and controlled the darkness in such a way as for another human figure to appear. It was covered in darkness from top to bottom and Robin couldn't make out who that person was, but somehow he knew. The hooded man then raised his sleeve and got closer to the human figure. He wiped the dark cloud from its head, only to reveal Lucina's face. Robin understood she was unconscious, and admired that even in such a state she was beautiful. With her lovely eyes closed, her white cheeks and her perfect falling dark blue hair. Robin shed another tear when he looked at her. Deep inside him he felt he had failed her.

He couldn't keep himself together and sobbed like a small child. "No, I beg you not to do it. Take me in her place, please… Don't…"

The man was emotionless still. Then out of thin air a silver knife appeared in his left hand. He took it closer to Lucina's neck. Robin immediately rushed at him and tried to do anything that would make him stop, but at once the dark cloud beneath him interfered. Long thin tentacles wrapped around his body, legs and arms immobilizing him completely. Robin shouted his name again and pleaded him one more time not to do it.

The man with his right hand's fingers gently touched her neck. _"Look at how soft her skin is… So I finally see her again, Chrom's daughter Lucina…"_ He said in an attempt to provoke him. Robin fell in his trap, desperately trying to escape, but surprisingly enough the cloud around his body had become as thick as rock.  
_  
"It's fascinating. The way you shout… You move… How desperate are you to save her?" _He said moving the knife closer and making Robin madder.

"Stop! Just stop!" Robin furiously shouted. "If only I was free…" He said and tightened his fists. The hooded man giggled at his words.

_"If only you were free? I can cut you into pieces right now and feed my dragons with your pathetic flesh." _He shouted back, annoyed. The man calmed himself down and asked him: _"Does she know about your piteous feelings?"_

Robin looked away from embarrassment, avoiding an eye contact, but unfortunately he revealed that way his affection towards her.

_"So I was right. But was I ever this weak to… love? It can't be… You… Oh yes! You must be that fool..." _He murmured and got closer to him. He spread his right arm and with his index finger he touched Robin's chest, right above his heart. The tactician felt his chest on fire and screamed from the pain.

"_Oh yes, I can sense the power inside you. Your blood burns as hot as mine, yet the body is weak." _He silently said._ "Answer me this: Are you Naga's last resort to stop me?"_

Robin felt ill, once he heard him. He had no idea what he was talking about.

"I-I honestly don't know... I just woke up in a destroyed village… That's all I can remember. She then found me and I have no recollection of my past. That's all I know Morgan. Please…" He said breathing rapidly and shallow.

The man touched his knife's edge at Lucina's neck. Then he held it from an angle, as he was ready to slice it.

"NO!" Robin shouted again in despair. "Stop! That's all I know. Stop!" He continued screaming with more droplets falling on the dry ground each second. "I'm telling you the truth… Please…"

_"I know."_ He responded. _"Your friend has already told me…"_

"My friend?" He asked confused.

_"Ha ha. Remarkable. I was sure that you had started suspecting something."_

Robin was unable to follow. "What?" He asked dazzled.

_"Enough."_ The man said in a serious tone. _"It seems that you aren't that much of a threat as I thought you were. I could kill you both now, and those idiots at the bridge, but, you see, when you're killing someone, they never experience pain. Only the ones closer to them do. So your biggest torture is to kill every last inch of this silly emotion of yours, hope. Once, I see the fear in her eyes and her world tearing apart, I will then kill her. Or I have a better idea…"_

Robin stood frozen as he heard the man's monologue. Then, the hooded man began fading, along with the dark clouds.

_"And Robin."_ He said before disappearing. _"I'm a man of my word._"

"Morgaaaan!" Robin screamed in frustration and tried to escape with no luck. When the man's figure completely vanished and Robin was finally free, he heard a final whisper: _"I'm not Morgan."_

Directly opposite of him, he saw Lucina's body ready to collapse and immediately tried to catch it and not let her fall. The dark clouds and mist was now gone. What had left were the remains of dragon's and wyverns, just like before. Robin held her body, relieved that she didn't suffer. Though, the words of the hooded man worried him. There were so many things left unanswered. But comparing them with the safety of his most important thing in the world, everything else seemed trivial. With a quick move he raised her body and lifted it up. And as he saw her, he realized that the man was right. He held feelings for her, but he was sure she didn't.

Robin walked for a couple of minutes, while holding her in his arms, and saw the bridge from far away. The road to there looked clear. However, although the threat of the dark clouds was gone, this wasn't the case with the native dragons. The dragons and wyverns had appeared all over again and even looked more threatening than ever. He didn't care though. The only thing in his mind was to check if his friends were okay, leave this place and plan their next move.

And Robin decided to head there as soon as possible. As he was walking there he felt Lucina slowly waking up. The lord opened her eyes and was left red-faced after she found herself in such position. Robin got that she was awake and faintly smiled at her.

"W-What do you think you're doing?" She asked slightly embarrassed. Her words caught him off guard and he immediately gently touched her to the ground. Lucina gave a quick check on her surrounding and was undoubtedly pleased to find out that the mist was gone.

"I'm amazed! You're out of this world! How did you do it?" She asked enthusiastically. Her face shined as she realized that it would be much easier to find the stone now and make another small step to save the world.

Robin didn't know how to respond. And in just mere seconds a series of thoughts came through Robin's mind.

"Great, now what am I supposed to tell her? That a guy came here, kidnapped her while I was supposed to guard her, threatened to kill her while asleep, but in the end he chose not to because he wanted to she her suffer even more. He wanted to destroy… her soul. Her beautiful pure soul that only seeks after justice and good. He wanted to destroy her hope for a better world. A world with more peace, freedom and… life. I can't say those things to her. But, I can't lie to her either…" He thought while looking pale. Lucina noticed his change of behavior and his red eyes.

"Robin you look… What happened?" She asked puzzled. The idea that Robin might had been cried flashed through her mind, but ruled it out as impossible. On the other, Robin couldn't give her an appropriate answer. He even avoided any eye contact with her. Lucina couldn't understand why he was acting in such a way and tried to ask him calmly one more time. "Robin you worry me. Is everything alright?"  
"Lucina…" Robin faintly tried to respond, but something in the horizon caught his eye's attention. Up in the sky flying like the wind there were dragons coming towards them. Though, this wasn't like the last time. The dragons had riders on them and Robin feared the worst. Lucina stared in the same direction as Robin and whispered surprised: "W-We've been compromised!"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 8: The Valley_

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**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! Ha! I got you with this one :) I'm glad I was able to upload quickly again. I hope this chapter is good. It had a bit of a climax, but honestly the best are yet to come. In our next one, which probably will come as soon, I will do something a bit different.

Plus, I decided to follow the trend of Polls and post one of my own. I'm experimenting with it and if responses are good I will surely even use it for story purposes... Who knows :P

-Replies to recent reviews:

-Axel: Absolutely no problem and thank you once again for your kind words. :) Heh... I'm happy I broke the "more-than-a-week-curse" and update quickly this time ;)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	25. Chapter 8: The Valley (VI)

**The Valley (VI)**

* * *

_I've finally edited the chapter by adding the rest of it. I hope you enjoy it and have fun. The next chapter will be written shortly. Thanks for the understanding. Have a great day everyone ;D  
-J.D. King_

* * *

"Robin! Let me go! Save yourself!" She desperately yelled, as cold tears ran through her white cheeks. Her heart beat fast, because she couldn't remember herself being closer to death. Robin, though, could.

"N-Never…" Robin tried to say in order to calm her down, with his teeth gritted. In the meanwhile his right hand was aching so much that he couldn't even feel it and he started losing hope as well.

"Robin! Let me go! You need both arms to climb! Please…" She cried with droplets falling down to the unknown. Robin knew she was right. And as he was looking upwards he saw the rope stretching more and more, telling him that time was not on his side…

* * *

Up in the sky flying like the wind there were dragons coming towards them. Though, this wasn't like the last time. The dragons had riders on them and Robin feared the worst. Lucina stared in the same direction as Robin and whispered surprised: "W-We've been compromised!"

"Impossible…" Robin murmured unable to even comprehend what was happening. At once, in his mind he remembered the words of the man, who he considered as his most dangerous enemy he had ever met, as of now. "_Your friend has told me…" _

"Could it be? And if so who?" He thought, but opted to rule out any scenario of betrayal, because he knew Shepherds' loyalty and that they were his friends, above all else. "No, I won't let him get in my head…"

As the two were standing there he noticed up in the sky the air force's formation. There were three wyverns with riders on them plus one more going on a weird animal. It was Robin's first time of seeing something like it. The beast looked like it was brought out from a fairy tale story, sharing traits of other animals. It had the body and back legs of lion, and head, wings and front legs of an eagle. The look on its scarlet red eye was fierce and it looked thirsty for battle. The flying mount was faster than the wyverns and started to move closer to them. Robin and Lucina were unsure if the riders were form the Arc, or were Risen.

Robin didn't want to waste any more time. He had to get back to his comrades and prepare to fight the enemy. Fortunately enough he couldn't see any ground forces and he still carried his aerial tomes, in order to be ready for every possible battle scenario.

The tactician and his master started running to reach the bridge and catch up with their friends. The interference of the riders caused a massive change of plans for them. While heading back Lucina fully responded to Robin's question about Sumia. He cleverly made such question to avoid being inquired about the previous events.

"She formed a strong bond with her ever since our mother passed away. I know it's silly, but we grew up with the legendary stories of heroes, or our parents' and wanted to be just like them. While I spent a lot time with my father, Cynthia did with mother. Then after father had left the world of living, being betrayed by one of his closest friends…" Robin felt like he had swollen needles and they stung him from the inside. The word _betrayal_ echoed in his mind. "… We had arranged to create a lance in order to learn to use more weapons. But mother left for a battle and never returned. One day we saw her mount on the sky and prayed for the best, but it was alone. It proved to be that mother wanted it to guard us even if she… wasn't here." She said and lowered her head.

"Lucina, I would have never asked such a thing, if I knew how sad it was…" He tried to make up for his doing, blaming himself on the inside.

"No Robin. You did nothing wrong. I've accepted the fact that our parents are gone. In addition you have every right to know. You've earned it. As I was saying although I accepted the fact that we were alone in this world, Cynthia didn't. We never talk about that subject, since she's a completely different person when we do. Our mother's death weighed heavily on her. She started training more, made the Pegasus her mount, named it after mother, and tried to become a _hero_."

* * *

After seeing both of them appearing in the horizon Nah was moved to she they were all right. She rushed to greet them. The red hooded girl gave Robin a warm smile and showed him who much she cared. Robin put a fake grin on his face. In the back of his mind he had the apparent attack of the beasts and the man's words. Deep inside him he didn't even want to think Nah could ever backstab him. Somehow though by intuition he convinced himself that he was referring to Noire, who literally vanished into thin air, but doubt haunted him, second by second.

"Wow, you literally came back so quickly! Was she that close?" She calmly asked. Robin looked at her puzzled. Since he was gone for longer than an hour, why did she feel it was a matter of minutes? "It must have something to do with him appearing…" He thought.

Without wasting any breath he took a close view to his comrades and along with Lucina explained them the situation. While the threat of the gigantic dragon wasn't on the table, they had to deal with the riders, who drew closer and closer.

Having listened to Robins plan, the Shepherds were dressed together. The vanguard consisted of Robin, Lucina, Owain and Laurent, while the back lines of the others serving as supportive units. As the riders were just a minute away from them, Robin caught a glimpse of Cynthia in the sky. She wasn't told to engage, and he immediately began shouting her to come down. The Pegasus knight obeyed at his words. He knew he shouldn't have yelled, but it was for her own sake. As he watched her being in a perfect sync with her flying mount he understood what Lucina had told him earlier.

The first rider to arrive was the griffon one. The Shepherds saw the beast landing in front of them, at a close distance without any intent to attack. The legendary creature looked even more amazing from a close distance. It flapped its powerful brown wings to safely land on the ground, as it used its keen eyesight to spot them and its The creature opened its large yellow golden beak, which had a semi-circular shape, and made a terrifying roar. The tactician quickly made a step forward and was ready to cast a spell. Then its rider with a quick movement got down from the creature. He was wearing a skull helmet with two big horns, which covered his face. He was surprisingly also wearing a robe, similar to Robin's. The tactician didn't need any more clues. He knew that in front of him was the real Morgan.

The man took his helmet off, revealing his face. Although he was shorter than Robin, his facial features were nearly identical. They even had the same hair color. He held his helmet in his right hand and started to speak. The rest of the Shepherds were amazed by their similarity. Owain tightened his fist and his sword hand started twitching. On the other, Severa scowled at him, without forgetting the scar she got from their last fight.

"Lucina, _Robin_…" He said in an intimidating way. "I haven't forgotten what you did to me... But I'm not her for revenge. I'm here to make a deal."

"We'll never negotiate with you, you…" Robin furiously responded. Lucina moved her arm close to Robin as a sign for him to stop.

"We're listening Morgan," she told him in a cold way. Morgan then continued, having that smirk on his face.

"I will take Lucina back to the Ark so she can be put on a trial, or you give me back your map and I'll leave."

Owain laughed at his words. "And what if we reject your offer?" He asked.

"Then… I will have my _revenge_." Morgan replied calmly, and put a grin on his face.

Owain laughed again. "You're all alone, with only three more aerial units on your side. And we're three times more. How do you think you can get your revenge?" He asked him and gave him an angry look.

"You're wrong, swordsman. Just because you carry the royal blood doesn't give you the right to underestimate your foe." Morgan replied annoyed. He then pointed with will at the fallen exalt. "It's your call," he told her.

Lucina wasn't sure how to respond. She knew how dangerous Morgan could be, but she had to learn his true motives. Before she could even try to announce him her decision, Robin rushed at him and they fell together at the ground with force. The tactician yelled: "Now! Eliminate them!" Thus, engaging in battle. The Shepherds moved as Robin had told them to. Their goal was to bring down the flying units quickly, and focus on the gemstone.

"Fool!" Morgan told him furious. He pushed him away and got up. And so did Robin. The tactician looked the sorcerer in his eyes. He gave him an intimidating look, much like his griffon, which immediately attacked Shepherds' vanguard.

Morgan moved his hand inside his robe and unsheathed his sword. Its color was as black as the rough skin of the native dragons and looked like it was made from pure silver. It reminded Robin of the masked man's sword at the Azure's temple. Without backing down, Robin took out his own sword as well. It was an iron one, not as powerful as Morgan's, but it was lighter.

The sorcerer rushed at him, holding the sword with both of his hands, and began with a forward attack. Robin swung his blade horizontally and blocked the hit. Their swords had locked and Morgan pushed his own forward in order to make Robin knee. The tactician, who had literally rooted his feet on the ground, had started sweating on his forehead. The cold sweat started to tickle down his cheeks. "Gaaah!" He said with his teeth gritted and slowly pressed his sword against Morgan's. Fortunately enough, he found space to slid it and escape from this situation. Moving rapidly, Robin distanced himself from the sorcerer to catch his breath. He felt his heart racing, as he was sure that this battle would be their last.

Morgan swung his sword and took a look at his opponent. He could sense Robin's nervousness. Although, he didn't use his sword often he was keen on using it. Its tip had stung so many innocent souls. Robin, on the other, took a deep breath and decided to focus. Once the time was right, he rapidly took his robe off. The warm, but heavy cloth fell on the earth, revealing Robin's grey shirt. The tactician felt that he needed more speed in order to win. Though, this was a risky move, since Morgan did the exact same thing, but he was wearing a darker shirt.

Robin felt his biceps burning and the soft breeze chilling his forehead and neck. He raised his sword again and waited for his opponent's next attack. Morgan wiped his face and rushed at the tactician. He used his power to swing his blade horizontally and hope to slash Robin's chest, but the tactician moved back avoiding the hit. He then responded with a direct hit, which Morgan blocked, and took a step closer.

The sounds of the two metals hitting each other echoed in the near empty valley. Some of the Shepherds turned their head to witness their fight. The sorcerers, now swordsmen, showed exceptional skills. Robin understood his hard training with his comrades, had paid off. Everything led to this moment. It was a battle of survival. Robin was against a very dangerous man that threatened his friends' safety, but killing him would only seal their fate by making them living on the run and alone, without help from the Ark. And even if he didn't want to admit it, they needed help. On the contrast, Morgan had nothing to lose, only to win. And his impulsive way of fighting troubled Robin and made him wonder, what his true intentions were.

Robin attacked with forward hit, hoping to catch Morgan off guard. The sorcerer blocked it, and pushed him away. Robin found difficult to regain his balance and Morgan immediately ran at him. He took his first step with will and when his second leg touched the ground he jumped at Robin. He brought his sword backwards for better aim. Once he had locked his target, Robin's throat, he unleashed his hand and, like a bolt, moved his sword at the tactician.

Robin was caught completely off guard. Without even realizing it, death was approaching. Robin felt like time had frozen and Morgan's silver blade slowly moved against him. Relying on his reflexes, he opted to completely fall down and roll over, saving himself. Morgan who was displeased with the fact that he had missed his opportunity raised his sword again and tried to finish him, while he was on the ground. Robin saw his opponent angrily coming at him. There was no way to escape this time. No ace to be played. It was death.

Morgan moved his silver blade to sting him in his chest and finish the battle. Robin closed his eyes and waited for the hit. He waited for his illusion to come alive and be swollen from the dark. "I'm sorry everyone," he thought and shed one last tear.

With his eyes closed he listened to an explosion. He quickly opened them only to find that Morgan had disappeared. He took a glimpse at his surroundings and saw a bright pink light shining on him. Then he noticed with relief that his opponent had fallen near on the ground unconscious. The tactician looked amazed at the dragon, as it saved his life from sure death. With a tear of joy running down his cheek he smiled at his savior. He then turned at Morgan again and spotted his absence. Suddenly, he heard the sound of an eagle's cry. The sorcerer had ridden on his mythical mount and flew higher to soar the skies. Robin understood that their battle wasn't over. It had just begun.

The tactician then spotted the dragons gathering and coming near them. At that moment, he was there with Nah. The rest of the Shepherds were already fighting the riders and the newest bunch of dragons that had surrounded them. However, the worst had yet to come. Morgan led the remaining riders and ordered them to move their fight closer to the bridge, pushing their enemy. Showing a remarkable docility the Risen dragons, not only followed Morgan's words but fought even harder. At one point the Shepherds started approaching the cliff and having acknowledged that Lucina shouted at her comrades to press forward. Fighting with determination the Shepherds started to make the necessary steps to win the battle.  
In the meanwhile, in the air Gerome and Laurent's duo proved enough to bring another rider down, leaving Morgan with only one more unit.

Robin then observed his movement from the ground. He spotted the man being clocked by a dark aura. That aura viciously expanded and embraced his animal, as well. The tactician felt the earth beneath him shaking, and immediately tried to balance himself, while being there for Nah, in case she needed his help. He took a look at her and saw her pink eyes staring behind him. Robin turned back and witnessed the dust from the dragons' corpses beginning to move and taking a new form. Robin saw the dragon's last from, held his sword tighter.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 8: The Valley_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! Phew... I thought I wouldn't make it... And actually I didn't... This chapter is 80% finished. I felt like it was better than making you wait another day. So, what happens now... I will try to edit it again tomorrow, as soon as I humanly can and "add" that 20%.

Note: The beginning was what I was experimenting with. It's pretty much the end of the Valley chapter. I hoped to include the "explanation/how we got there" in this particular chapter as a flashback, but my time was up and I had to chose between NO chapter and 80% chapter.

[edit]: I've finally found time to write it and upload it. Phew... it ended up close to 1.000 words. I hope you like it. And I apologise for informing you that way. I'll try to work harder to write more better and please everyone :)

Please keep in mind that I've opened a poll. I'm testing it out and if things go well, I'll include questions based on this story.

-Replies to recent reviews:

-ShadowFenix98: Thank you very much for taking the time to review! I'm glad you liked it :) I can only promise for more and better chapters. 

-New Replies to most recent reviews:

-ShadowFenix98: Thanks for reviewing, again, and for your kind words! I hope this battle and the "rest" of the chapter was satisfying enough :)

-Axel Rider: Heh, never apologise again for not reviewing. You're not obliged to :) And, thank you once again for your comments. They literally act as a small boost and help me work harder and more determined. Nah...You don't need to thank me for anything. I haven't done anything special :) 

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	26. Chapter 8: The Valley (VII)

**The Valley (VII)**

* * *

Robin gulped, afraid of what the future had in store for them. The remains of the fallen Risen dragon began to change their shape, into something more anthropomorphic. The tactician understood what was going on. This was also the reason that Morgan didn't bring many units alongside him. The valley _was_ his units. Due to the dragons' substance, they could be used to create any shape and take any form.

Morgan was still being surrounded by the dark aura, making Robin a bit more worried. He was unsure if there was more to it, or only gave him complete control over Risen. At that time, Morgan's immortal army was formed. It was an army consisted of true Risen soldiers. They were fearsome warriors, riders, knights, myrmidons and more, dividing themselves much like how a cell does. Their final number was more than hundred. Nah witnessed their birth and urged to run to meet her friends and fight alongside them. As she was ready to do so, Robin caught her by her hand and told her not to.

"It's a suicide Nah. We must find another way, before the Risen obliterate us for good," Robin said in a dead serious tone. His face was emotionless. He only held his sword tight, before finally sheathing it. The tactician, without wasting time, pointed at the place where their comrades battled. He explained that Morgan wanted to have control where the battle was heading. It was the bridge. This structure was his checkmate move. If he pushed the Shepherds to fight there, then he would force them to step on it and he would then destroy it. Or he would immobilize the Shepherds, because the bridge connected the two ends of a cliff, one that seemed bottomless. White mist prevented from seeing its end. Nah acknowledged the situation and judging from their moves the Shepherds had also.

Robin was left with a huge dilemma. Inside him he knew that he should fight next to his friends, until the end, much like Nah tried to do. On the other, he was sure this wouldn't win their fight. The Risen were ten times more than his team and had a master tactician watching over them and planning their moves carefully, moving them like pawns at a chessboard, without caring about casualties. That being said, he took another close look at the battlefield. One good look.

He saw the Shepherds being backed in a corner, who helplessly tried to match the Risens' force using their strategy and power. Gerome had returned, with Laurent and the mage used his tactics to place them correctly in the battlefield. Gerome and Cynthia, as the only flying units tried to be at a close distance with their comrades and not only fight, but provide them with the enemy's positioning. The Shepherds had formed a circle and to combat the threat of the Risen, which attacked from everywhere. At the circle's center Brady used his magic staff to heal his injured and tired comrades. At the same time, he noticed that although the road to his friends was clear, the Shepherds were being surrounded, which made things a lot more difficult for the tactician and the manakete. Though, he didn't give up. Instead, Robin took another deep breath and told Nah to use her dragonstone. Nah saw that inside Robin's eyes there was a sparkle.

"You've come up with a plan right?" She asked curious.

"Maybe…" Robin replied coldly, a way he never used to talk around her. Nah felt a bit saddened, but remembered that they're in the middle of a fight. Robin would be serious and cold, when the lives of his friends are at stake. Having understood this, the manakete brought her precious stone out. It was bright enough to make Robin close his eyes. It was because the stone resonated with Nah's soul. The manakete was cloaked in a bright light and soon her transformation took place. Nah turned from a young girl into the fearsome dragon she kept inside her. The tactician hopped on top of her back and pointed at Morgan. He had taken his choice. He wanted determined their win was all about defeating him. And that was his goal.

The dragon flapped her wings and flew high to pursue the dark sorcerer. Once, she had reached a close distance Robin ordered her to attack him with her fiery breath. Nah's belly lit and immediately fired at him. Her attack was enough to tear him down, but Morgan saw her attack coming from miles away. By just looking at the fireball coming at him, he spread his arm and while having his palm open, he murmured something. It was enough to make a strange circle of light appear in front of his hand and soon dark streams of clouds appeared. They were trying to surround the dragon and possibly hurt it. At once, Robin shouted her to fly away and dodge them, with Nah doing as he said. The dragon began to maneuver in the air, evading the darkness. Robin grasped Nah's neck and his heart was pumping like crazy. He felt his blood circulating fast, with his head getting redder than Severa's hair. He had chosen to try and defeat Morgan, but he knew Nah's life was being risked. The tactician tried to keep his eyes open slightly, though the air made it difficult. Eventually, once Nah slowed down he quickly opened them and tried to get a look at his surroundings. They hadn't escaped the clouds, but they were left open to attack.

"Great job Nah! We can do i-" Before he could finish his words, a purple light illuminated them.

The attack was so fast, like a thunder on a heavy storm. The tactician couldn't even get a glimpse of it. Everything happened instantly. The darkness had surrounded them and stroke them with a lighting. Robin felt Nah getting weaker and weaker second by second. They had started to lose height. He couldn't believe his eyes. For the first time in his life, he was seeing dragon blood. It was different than of the human. Instead of being dark red, it had an electric light transparent blue color. And the wound on Nah's chest looked serious. Robin breathed heavily without being able to get a grip of himself. He turned at Morgan and saw observed how he was staring back at him. With his vicious look, the sorcerer put a smirk on his face and ordered his griffin to fly with might. He left Robin and aimed at his comrades. Robin knew his next target.

The tactician felt his head ache and immediately tried to talk to Nah. The dragon started being unable to even fly. She told Robin she hadn't being hit by such a powerful dark magic before and wasn't prepared to leave the world. Robin tried to calm her down and urged to point her their safe spot; inside the Shepherds' circle. It was a small opening, but the Risen had no flying units. If Nah managed to get close to them, Gerome or Cynthia could provide them with either concoction, or elixir. But above all they had to get close to them.

Nah used her remaining power, while in dragon form to fly close to her friends. Robin used the spell fire on the air as a signal for help. Having understood the situation Cynthia, once she finished stabbing a Risen to death, rushed for help. The rest of the Shepherds acknowledged something bad happened to Robin and Nah. However, they were on the verge of the same fate. Morgan's plan had worked. His forces had pressed them enough to bring them in a place were there was only one way out; the bridge. If they continued to recklessly fight them they could end up falling on the cliff and learn if it was indeed endless. On the other, they could pass the bridge, once again, and leave the valley. Laurent informed Lucina of their situation with the lord cursing the sorcerer. They had succeeded in dealing with a lot of Risen, but when one turned to ashes, another one was ready to take its place. With this way, the Risen army seemed like it was consisted of infinite units, although it was close to a hundred, but their number had fell short due to the amazing combat skills of the Shepherd army.

Owain's sweat started to enter his eyes and make them burn. He blocked a hit from a Risen warrior and responded with a quick slice on it's neck. On his right shoulder Kjelle pushed a Risen swordsman with her armor and stabbed it with her lance. Next to her, her friends fought hard with Brady always using his staff and taking notice of their surroundings. They were really close to the bridge and had to come closer to get past it. However, they couldn't do this all together. Somebody had to keep the Risen busy to save time for his friends.

Cynthia ordered Sumia to land close to Robin and Nah. She found the two lying on the sturdy ground alone and open for attacks. Though, the Risen forces were all facing the Shepherds. This, meant that Nah could be provided with the help she needed to survive. She had leaned her head on Robin's chest and had closed her eyes. Robin tried to remain as cool as a cucumber. Nonetheless, it was nothing other than Robin's façade. Inside him, he desperately tried not to blame himself for what happened to her. He wanted to stop Morgan forever. He wanted to save his friends, but couldn't. He stroke Nah's green hair, while pressing on her wound and shouted at Cynthia to come close.

"She came. Everything's all right now," Robin said assertively.

The rider opened a small bag from her mount's side and ran to give Robin the elixir. Robin told her not to and said to her it was best if she treated her wounds. It would be better for him, if he fought the Risen. Nah weakly opened her eyes and pleaded Robin to stay at her side. The tactician took a deep breath and said: "I-I can't they need me as much as you do. Plus, Cynthia can take care of you. I'm sorry Nah. This… It's all my fault. But I will make up for it. I can help, before everything is too late." A tear streamed down her cheek. She nodded. Cynthia opened the blue bottle knelt and poured it on her wound. Robin putting a brave look on his face opened his red tome and shot another fireball on the sky. This time Gerome observed it and understood it was his signal of pairing up with him for the battle. The masked man informed his friends of Robin's arrival. They were undoubtedly pleased to hear that he would finally offer his assistance, but responded to bring him here quickly. The Shepherds were really close of reaching the cliffs end. Lucina shouted at them to press forward.

* * *

Although, the number of Risen was decreasing, Robin's friends were close on being trapped and not having anywhere to go. The masked man gently touched Minerva's back with his hand. His black glove made it difficult for him to feel her rough skin, as she flew with speed. His bright red hair strongly waved as he soared the sky with his mount. The wyvern roared in her path, while she flew above the Risen soldiers to meet with her old friend.

Robin saw the beast flapping its wings with determination and got closer to him. The tactician quickly turned his head back. Nah was still being taken care of Cynthia. He sighed and waited for Gerome. The rider soon came and helped Robin to get on Minerva's back.

"What's your plan, tactician?"

Robin was vacillating whether he should attack Morgan again. The sorcerer proved too much for even Nah to handle and she ended up severely wounded after Morgan used a powerful dark magic spell. He shook his head in discomfort.

"It's better for us to go back to them. He's also after them," Robin responded with his eyes sparkling. Gerome nodded and slightly touched Minerva with his boot as a signal for her to take off. The dragon obeyed its master's order and began running before powerfully flapping her wings and fly. The tactician took a hold from Gerome and observed the battlefield once again. The Shepherds were only a matter of feet away from the cliff. The Risen had served their roles. The stage was set for Morgan to make his final move. Robin and Gerome were flying at a high speed to catch up with their comrades.

Brady saw the two coming and immediately urged to inform his friends. Lucina for a second looked behind her and acknowledged the fact that their defeat was close. Feeling her heart beat rate increasing and the sweat in her fore head and body she raised her Falchion and rushed to attack once more. She slashed her blade with might, while she blocked the next hit.

"We must move forward! We're close on the cliffs end!" She screamed to her comrades.

"That's ma' concern!" Brady shouted. "We should give all we have to this fight! Let's go everyone!"

Feeling motivated the Shepherds fought harder than ever. Their array took a semi-circular form with the members fighting side by side. In front of them there was their enemy, the heartless, cruel warriors of the darkness. However this time it was different. Morgan aiming to break their formation flew with his griffon above them. He closed his eyes and let his black aura intensifying.

"Laurent!" Brady yelled in fear. The sorcerer stretched his hands and whispered the Shepherds' words of doom. Instantly, a wave of a thunder, shining with purple light targeted Brady. The lighting exploded near him, as he barely avoided being hit dead on. The explosion was strong enough to leave him unconscious and away from his comrades. He fell on the ground with force and his black rope was filled with blood strains.

As a result from the attack, many of the Shepherds lost track of their enemy and found themselves blocking their enemies attacks rather than going all out against them. On the other it was a shock for everyone. Without the priest to heal them, they knew the fight would end soon.

Morgan found himself dodging a stream of fire which aimed at him. He looked down at the person who dared to attack him. It was Laurent with his eyes full of rage. He broke his formation and focused on attacking Morgan. His attacks looked like a rain of fire, which was about to strike only one person. Letting his rage take control, he screamed the words needed to cast his spell over and over again.

The sorcerer laughed at his attempt. The griffin maneuvered in the air and either evaded the hit or Morgan blocked it with magic. Although, Laurent intended to finish Morgan once and for all, Shepherd's line had an opening and this fact created a source of troubles. Having to fight multiple enemies Owain shouted at his attempt, only to fail.

Realizing that the fight was on the verge of being lost, Lucina knew that she had to risk everything on her next move. She immediately shouted everyone to cautiously retreat from the bridge, as they were close in hitting a dead end. The bridge was the narrow path for them, which could lead in their escape. If they managed to pass and then destroy it the Risen wouldn't be able to reach them. In addition their goal was to survive, as the gemstone was impossible to be found.

Robin and Gerome had finally arrived at the battle scene. Minerva came close to the Risen and gave Gerome the chance to decapitate his foes, while Robin contributed in creating chaos of fire along with Laurent, slowing Morgan down.

In the meanwhile, Cynthia was able to catch up with her friends. The Pegasus knight urged to help her friends, while also taking care of Nah, who seemed to have recovered, but without the ability of being able to fight. Lucina saw her sister flying from above and immediately ordered her to retreat to their safe zone, at the bridge's other side. Cynthia told Nah to hold tight once more and proceeded to cautiously get past the Risen and take shelter away from the valley. Sumia was hardly flying and the cover of the distance from the one side of the cliff to the other seemed like an impossible feat.

However, as Morgan was able to deflect the incoming attacks from his foes he ordered his griffon to chase after Cynthia. The rider unaware of being followed was nearly flying above the bridge. As Sumia soared the sky to escape, she became an easy target for a master tactician. Without hesitating Morgan attacked her from behind. Sumia was unable to avoid being hit. Cynthia, along with Nah, nearly fell from the Pegasus' back. Sumia withstood the hit, but could fly with difficulty. Before Morgan could deliver his final blow, Robin attacked him. The tactician took advantage of the fact that Cynthia acted as a decoy and along with Laurent began their attack. Morgan's griffon was close of being immolated by the fire.

With his legendary creature deadly damaged from the fire and him being weakened he decided to fight from the land. Robin knew that it was time to finish him. Suddenly, the sorcerer jumped in the air and landed on the solid ground. Filled by hatred his aura his emotions entered a fever pitch. Out of nowhere surrounded by his army, Morgan began shooting lighting bolts everywhere in the air in an attempt to find target, before falling on the ground exhausted.

"They're everywhere!" Gerome said frightened. Minerva unable to dodge the strikes got hit. Both riders felt their bodies burn from the hit and Robin noted that the lighting left deep scars on Minerva's skin. Following the same fate as Sumia before her, Minerva was left with no other choice than of trying to pass on the other side of the cliff.

As both mounts were desperately trying to achieve the same goal, Sumia got closer on the end. At that moment, the Pegasus couldn't continue. Being above from what seemed a bottomless canyon, she stopped moving and slowly began to lose height. Having understood this Cynthia pleaded her to continue. Nah held Cynthia tighter than ever, begging Sumia to recover. The Pegasus did. An act that seemed a miracle, Sumia overcame her body's weakness and exhaustion and kicked the air with determination to move forward. Nah, feeling her heart ready to explore from the stress, witnessed the power of Cynthia's partner. With anything that was left for the animal, immediately after stepping on the solid ground the Pegasus knelt and fell.

Next to them, they found the other two riders having overcome the same problem. Robin gasping, got down from Minerva, thanked her and rushed at the bridge. Before leaving he ordered his comrades to stay there.

Robin felt weak enough to collapse. Every step he made was a difficult one, but his friend's safety pushed him forward. He arrived at the bridge. In front of him, he saw the narrow wooden path and what expanded beneath it. His body shivered at the sight and by the fact that there was no end to it, as clouds covered the bottom. Suddenly, he heard a man's voice telling him to step away. It was Yarne, who had taken the role of carrying the unconscious priest. Moving cautiously and slowly, with the fear of falling, Robin switched places with Yarne and both of them were able to safely continue walking. Feeling his heart pumping like crazy again, Robin knew he ought to go on and make sure all of his friends crossed the bridge for one last time.

Fortunately enough, Robin found no other member of the Shepherds' until the bridge's end. This time it was Inigo. The mercenary had escaped from the battle scene and safely retreated. Robin nodded at him and continued to catch up with the others.

Ahead of the tactician, Lucina after slaughtering another Risen ordered Kjelle and Owain to retreat. Robin stepped forward.

"You have to leave now!" Robin yelled at them. "I can keep them busy!" He said determined and unleashed another stream of fire towards the Risen.

"You're not going anywhere, you idiot!" Severa responded as she prepared to combat her enemy.

"We're all here for you Robin! If we're to fall, we'll fall together!" Laurent replied as well.

"We have to retreat! They're way we can handle as many of them. Please! Retreat and I'll keep them busy," Robin said unsure of how to handle the situation.

"That's what we're trying to do Robin!" Lucina told him and pierced the zombie fighter.

Robin was about to prepare for his next attack when the Risen began to move backwards, much to his surprise. The lord told them that this was their opening. She immediately ordered Severa and Laurent to follow the steps of Inigo and Yarne, and soon both her and Robin stepped on the bridge. However, the Risen hadn't stopped fighting for no purpose. None other than Morgan himself appeared in front of the lord and tactician.

Robin judging from his rival's appearance he could make out that his dark aura had begun fading. The sorcerer approached them. Robin stopped moving and decided to head for the bridge's front.

Morgan giggled evilly. "You're exactly where I want you to be Robin. You see I'm always one step ahead of you."

"This fight is pointless Morgan. You're after me! So, let's end this once… and for all," he said with fire in his eyes. At that time he felt someone touching him at his back. He turned and saw Lucina at his side.

"Everyone has crossed the bridge safely," she told him calmly. "Now the only one that's left is us."

"Farewell, Robin!" Morgan said and used his purple tome aiming at the bridge. The tactician grabbed Lucina from her hand and began running to reach its end. He heard his friends' voices and tried to move forward. However, at one moment he felt he wasn't stepping on a solid surface. Robin then took a hold of one of the bridge's side ropes.

The tactician found himself in the worst nightmare imaginable. Robin freaked out, as he couldn't find of any scenario to escape from their situation.

"Robin! Let me go! Save yourself!" Lucina desperately yelled, as cold tears ran through her white cheeks. Her heart beat fast, because she couldn't remember herself being closer to death. Robin, though, could.

"N-Never…" Robin tried to say in order to calm her down, with his teeth gritted. In the meanwhile his right hand was aching so much that he couldn't even feel it and he started losing hope as well.

"Robin! Let me go! You need both arms to climb! Please…" She cried with droplets falling down to the unknown. Robin knew she was right. And as he was looking upwards he saw the rope stretching more and more, telling him that time was not on his side. Without realising it the rope broke.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 8: The Valley_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! Before you say anything let me just start by saying that NO this isn't the whole chapter VII. I will update again with the rest of it (plus, I'm positive it will be as long as the first half). The reasoning behind this is simple. I'm not done with writing it and between 0 chapters and half chapter I will always choose the later.

Secondly, I honestly feel the need to apologise for the half-month delay. The last thing I want is to let all of the readers and 82 followers down, by uploading again late. But I won't lie. I reached bottom. Life's really pressuring me and reaching me to my limits. It's so hard and I've yet to stabilise my schedule in a way to know when I'm free to write. And I'm not the person I was when I began. I mean that I don't have the strength to stay awake until late at night and finish writing. I get so drained from my work that pretty early at night I just feel the need to lay on my bed and sleep. Moreover, there was even times that I was considering taking a hiatus from writing. But after rereading your amazingly warm comments, I remembered why I write. I want to thank you for your amazing support. So, I won't give in to my problems. I will continue to fight back as hard as I can and in the meantime I want to repay you for all the great comments and support you've given me. I continue trying to achieve my dream, to have 100 friends following my story. I will!

-Replies to recent reviews:

-Guest: Haha, there are indeed a lot of Robin!Lucina ones. Personally, I don't like my readers to already know who Robin's pair will be. I feel that in a story what matters in the protagonists relationship with his partner is the "journey." How they met, how they fell in love, how he confessed his love to her. If someone already knows the outcome, this short of magic vanishes, because the reader is sure that the pairing will become cannon at one point. But when he doesn't he speculates and experiences the "journey." Keep in mind that's my personal view. Anyway, thanks for reviewing and I hope you stay along the ride until you find about Robin's true pair.

-Iron Mario: Thank you so much for your amazing review. I'm really glad you liked the story. Also, I can't but get excited when I hear that my readers speculate about the story and it's small mysteries. Don't worry everything will become clearer in the newest instalments, plus trust me, I have some great ideas about the next gemstones. ;)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	27. Chapter 9: Vert

**Vert**

* * *

Without realizing it the rope broke. Although, it happened instantly, for Robin, the view of the broken rope lasted for hours. It was like the flow of time had stopped. The tactician felt immobilized by what he was seeing. Robin was optimistic about his situation, as he thought he could find a solution to escape from this dire situation. However, the hope for a miracle was gone. And so, he hopelessly stared at it, thinking he had no more aces in the hole, thinking he had failed his lord.

The two began to fall, with the tactician strongly holding Lucina's hand. Her hand was wet and it began getting slippery. The tactician wasn't sure whether he was hearing Lucina screaming, since for the time being, he was unable to hear anything. Everything was now happening at such a fast pace, Robin had to act fast. At the moment he got closer to Lucina, Robin with pushed himself to hug her. As they fell together Robin realized Lucina was surprisingly silent, though with the way she was wrapped around his waist, Robin could get some bones broken easily. Robin had acknowledged she maybe had accepted their fate. It would be pointless for them to mourn their upcoming death.

Even though, they were about to learn how deep the cliff was, Robin wanted to be closer to its edge. With a quick move, he tried to pull out a tome. Surprisingly enough, he got his aerial tome out. However, he could barely hold it, as his speed of fall began to increase. Due to this, Robin lost control of the book and before he was able to cast a spell, he saw his last chance of survival slipping through his fingers and flying their way to the top. "I-It can be!" He yelled shocked. Instantly, he felt Lucina's arms holding him tighter. Robin immediately tried to look down, only to be disappointed. The cliff's end couldn't be seen, as a mist prevented that. Robin was on the verge of breaking. What could he do? Had he indeed failed? At this point he thought of stopping trying and just try to talk to his lord. But no. He didn't give up.

The tactician told Lucina to get the Falchion out. She barely heard him, but understood what he wanted her to do. While having her cape rapidly moving due to the wind she unsheathed the sword of legends. When she did, she turned at Robin and saw him holding his own sword. After their eyes locked Robin tried to hit the cliffs side with his sword. Lucina followed as well. Together, with both of their swords sliding across the cliff's side, they tried to slow themselves down. At this point, both swords began to glow red, as their edges burned. However, they didn't significantly decelerate as to have a full control of their velocity.

Suddenly, Robin looked above. Funnily enough, he couldn't make out the cliff's top. Nonetheless, his eyes focused on one specific thing, the wind tome. "It worked?" He thought and pressed his sword with more force. Lucina saw the effort in his actions and before she could speak she saw Robin leaving her side.

"T-This is it. M-My last chance…" Robin thought. He definitely risked everything with such move, but everything went as planned. He cautiously took a hold of the precious green tome and was ready to finally put an end to their struggle. By manipulating the wind Robin could control how fast they were falling. He had already, somehow, previously succeeded in it, when he had saved Cynthia. He closed his eyes and yelled: "Elwind!" Immediately after chanting it, a small, but powerful gust of wind was produced. Robin used it to reach Lucina once again.

After reuniting, she kept holding him. Even after following this unorthodox way of falling, they had managed to survive.

* * *

When they reached the ground they both breathed a sigh of relief. Robin only felt like lying down and gazing the sky above them. The only thing he could make out was a thick line of blue cutting the cliff's edges. He touched the ground and felt the earth beneath him. The distance between the two sides of the cliff had just the length of the bridge itself.

"Will the problems ever end?" He asked, while staring at the top. Surprisingly, he didn't get an answer. "Luci-" He said and turned at her. He found her immobilized, staring at one exact direction.

"What is it?" He asked seriously and tried to get back on his feet. Feeling his legs heavy Robin slowly walked towards her. He touched her shoulder and calmly asked again. The lord seemed completely surprised, like she couldn't accept what happened. Robin figured she wasn't anywhere close to responding so he stared in the same direction as her. And he saw it. In front of them, there was a large opening on the right side of the cliff. It reminded him of Azure's temple. Was lady luck finally grinning at them? Was it fate? Robin couldn't provide an answer. He then remembered the words from the riddle: _"Under the sacred ring…" _

The tactician had the courage to face more potential troubles. Last time, he suffered from illusions, which messed up with his mind and now he didn't know what to expect. He was honest with himself. He knew, since he decided to join the Shepherds, that every minute of his life would have been a fight to stay alive. There was no holding back, even when you barely survived a fall from a ridiculous high cliff. After processing those thoughts, he took a step forward to get inside the cave. With Lucina joining him on the exploration. Their first and outmost importance

"What info do we have about the next gemstone?"

"The green flame orb, as it was also called, has indeed the power to manipulate earth's movement. However it requires a lot of effort and skill to achieve it. I can scarcely imagine how powerful the person who used it before is."

"Used it before?" Robin asked baffled.

"Don't you remember? When we first arrived here, the earth vigorously shook. It must have been the work of the geosphere," she calmly responded. Robin nodded. He was preparing himself for the worst.

After a couple of minutes, they reached the cave's entrance, which was cloaked by a veil of darkness. There was no source of light, to illuminate their surroundings. Robin instantly froze. He didn't move, as his mind travelled back to when he was devoured by the darkness from his illusion. He thought that there was no possible way for it to become real, especially now. Thinking rationally, he used his fire tome to chant a fire spell. The tactician created a small fireball, in the size of a small coconut, which floated above his hand. Its heat warmed his cold hand and with his palm he lightly pushed it forward. The fireball floated across the room and the light coming from it faintly filled the room. He used the same spell again, in order for them to be able to see a lot more clearly. Soon, he had managed to create four of them and placed two on each side of the room, close to them.

Lucina took a closer look at their surroundings. The ground was solid and the cave's sides were glittering. Icicle-shaped formations, stalactites were hanging from the ceiling and shone as the fireball's light hit them, while pointy stalagmites grew up from the floor and were scattered across it. The temperature inside the cave was mild and she felt her hands getting moist, due to the cave's high humidity. Feeling a great desire for exploration she looked eager to continue. Robin agreed and both proceeded with caution.

Robin could only hear their boots hitting the ground, as no other sound was made. They continued walking inside the cave, slowly reaching its deeper parts, while they planned their steps at times, since the ground turned into mud from the water dropping from the ceiling. Interestingly enough, they found no wildlife inside the cave. They were completely alone.

"So, I guess the sphere is colored green right?" Robin said, in an attempt to break the silence.

"Yes. It indeed is," Lucina awkwardly replied. Judging from her facial expression Robin thought he had messed things up. Then, Robin stopped moving and faced Lucina.

"Lucina, there's something I have to tell you," he said looking serious. He caught Lucina's attention and she curiously listened to him. Robin gulped and started talking. "Do you remember when you decided to look for the gemstone yourself and I came after you?" She nodded, unable to follow.

"You see, as we were embraced by that weird dark mist… I lost sight of you…"

"What do you mean?" She asked intrigued.

"I can't explain it myself, but someone took you away from me. He was powerful enough to manipulate the dark mist and create foes and anything one can imagine. And he was close in killing both you and me..." Robin reluctantly added. Lucina started to get worried. "And…?"

"He immobilized both of us, though you were unconscious. He began talking about my abilities, or how we were alike. In the end, he showed mercy, but promised to destroy us…"

Lucina looked troubled by his words. "I can't think of anyone, but then again may be… No, I doubt he would come here without anything to gain. Are you sure he wasn't Morgan?"

"That was what I thought, though he looked nothing like him."

The moment Robin finished his last word the cave started shaking. The cave looked like it was ready to collapse over them. Trembling from fear they decided to get out as soon as possible. The stalagmites started falling and could easily pierce through their bodies. Every step that each one of them made mattered, since if one tripped, they would probably never find the chance to get up. While they were running their way to the exit, a sharp stalagmite hit Lucina's right arm. The sharp rocky formation sliced her on the forearm and left a deep cut. She cried from pain, as bloodstains began expanding in her sleeve. Robin immediately held her from her shoulder and tried to guide her out of the cave. Suddenly, when the quake stopped, they were close on the exit.

The tactician saw what followed next from miles away. His bad luck continued and was sure that eventually it would happen. Morgan blocked their way out. The sorcerer looked more evil than any other time and laughed when he saw them.

"I was convinced I had gotten rid of you, yet you always find a way to cheat death. No more games, Robin. Either I leave this place or you!" He yelled.

Lucina saw the fury in Morgan's eyes. The sorcerer was ready to give everything he had on one last fight. Robin on the other was exhausted from their adventure and sighed.

The sorcerer unsheathed his sword. This one looked different than any other Robin had seen before. Its fuller had the shape of the thunder, while it began flashing.

Robin took a deep breath for one last time…

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 9: Vert_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** _[To the update]_

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	28. Chapter 9: Vert (II)

**Vert (II)**

* * *

_"Get up Robin!" Someone yelled at the tactician annoyed. Robin barely opened his eyes only to see in front of him an angry Severa, fiercely slicing the air with her blade. It was her favorite katana, which she held tight from its red handle. She wore a beige tube top-like cloth, instead of her usuall sleeveless shirt. Her abdomen was visible and well defined, while her hair, having the color of the fire, sparkled as the sun's rays lighten it. The light was warm and made the tactician sweaty and silently beseeching for water. Though, he was sure he wasn't getting any until this was over. To do so, he had to get up, as he found himself lying on the ground once more._

_"Get up Robin! Don't tell me a rock beat you!" Robin heard the voices of his friends in response of his previous stumble. They were cheering for him and it gave him strength. Although, he was with the Shepherds not long, they had embraced him as a part of them. They were his family, the reason for him to live and join the cause of saving the world. When he felt down, they would cheer him up, and so did he when someone was in his place. The Shepherds laughed together, cried together, fought together and sought the same future; a world of justice and freedom from the fear, hatred and despair the fell dragon brought. That was why the loss of Noire was a big one. She was with them for so long and while they knew about her hidden self nobody could predict what happened. And so, after reclaiming the Azure gemstone they were after the next piece of the puzzle, Vert._

_"I've already told you everyone! Without his tomes he's not that good," Inigo said dismissing Robin's sword proficiency. Laurent shook his head in disagreement. "He's already at rank D, while his magic rank is B, so take it easy on him."_

_"Oh come on Laurent! Don't start again!" Brady yelled. Once again they were on the brink of fighting, so Kjelle had to calm them down. Among them was also the young manakete, wearing her cute red hood, murmuring: "Keep fighting Rob-Rob!"_

_The tactician saw his friends and smiled. He got back on his feet and swung his iron sword, while gazing at the mercenary. Her scar from their last fight with Morgan was visible. Robin sighed, as he still blamed himself. What if the hit was a critical one? What if his previous illusion became real? He took another deep breath and tried to analyze the situation. It was his only was way of winning, it always had been._

_"What are you looking at?" The mercenary shouted, seeming annoyed. "Don't tell me you still think you beat me back then? I'm sure you're stupid enough to do," she said in an attempt to taunt him. Robin didn't fell for it and tried to play some mind games. "Either way, I would have won that game. You fell for every trick I used. And honestly, I wouldn't even need to get serious-" Before he finished talking, the mercenary rushed at him. "This is it!" He thought. "That's my chance to tip the scales!" Robin used Severa's intensity to make her fight with a less clear mind, since she was mad at him. It was the last trick he could pull, because he knew that he was too exhausted to keep fighting at the same pace._

_"You fool!" She shouted again._

* * *

Robin took a deep breath for one last time. Morgan looked dead serious about their fight. Lucina's eyes trembled as she tried to convince Robin not to engage in a combat. The tactician decided to respond with a guilty smile and took used his robe's sleeve to dress her wound. "Keep pressing it, until we catch up with Brady," he calmly said. "Please, stay away from this fight, will you? I will protect you," he added in a serious tone and turned his face towards Morgan. Robin's expression revealed his bad condition. He had miraculously survived from the previous battles and just a fall from a ridiculously high cliff. His body felt weak and he tried to use all of his remaining strength to fight will all of his power. There was no alternate option. Morgan had come to this place to execute them. This was his mission, to end their dreams and ambitions.

The sorcerer wielded his odd looking sword and sparks began flashing.

"This is my trump card, the "Thunder Sword." A sword so powerful it seals the might of the most devastating thunders. I don't need to cast any incantation from my tomes attack. I can easily unleash its power any time I want. I will devour your life force and everything you have Robin. I've had enough of you. This is _your_ end!" He angrily said and pointed at the tactician.

Robin gulped as he saw his opponent's sword shining. Instantly, a bolt was summoned and aimed to strike at him. He may was able to manipulate magic, but he was unsure whether he could withstood such hit, under his condition. The bolt of thunder lit the area and viciously moved at him. Lucina screamed his name at the sight.

However, the tactician's main aim was safety. The safety of his precious comrade. Thus, he wanted to move their battle to the outside. The cave, as it seemed, wasn't stable and could collapse any moment, so in order to protect her he had to push Morgan out of the cave. Robin, then, saw the lighting coming at him. He quickly stretched his hands forward and chanted: "Arcfire!" The stream of fire was enough to create an explosion, while smoke started covering the area. The cave began rumbling and Robin shouted at Lucina to get out as quickly as possible. With his heart beating like crazy he rushed at Morgan. Using himself as a decoy he thought it was the only way for his lord to escape.

The tactician ran at Morgan with anger and summoned another fiery stream of destruction. Morgan smirked at the sight. He used his sword to produce to fight back only to cause another explosion in mid air. He then saw Lucina trying to flee and moved his sword against her. Morgan screamed and his sword began flashing. Robin's heart skipped a beat as he saw himself on the same spot once again. He remembered how fragile everything was. How easily his dreams could get crushed. How the world would. Robin knew that in his current state he didn't stand a chance. He had to become that fearsome mage. He had to unleash his hidden power, once again.

Morgan saw Robin's fury. He knew how Robin's powers activated when in a pinch. The sorcerer put an evil grin on his face and turned at Robin. He looked at him and observed how from calm he turned into a rage monster. "Finally he's awoken!" He murmured.

The tactician's eyes glowed deep red, while a strong aura embraced him and covered his silhouette. Robin opened the palm of his hands and let his aura loose. A powerful wind was created as a result and reacted with Morgan's presence. Although, Robin seemed mad, he remained silent. He extended his right hand and faced his opponent. Magic circles began flashing and at once from his hand a uniquely powerful stream of fire aimed at Morgan. Without realizing it Morgan was severely hit and was pushed with force outside of the cave. Lucina looked at the battle unsure if Robin was on his senses.

"It's over." Robin faintly said. He raised his hand with might and multiple flashing magical circles appeared from thin air. Suddenly, the earth beneath them appeared to crack and a fissure was soon formed. From its inside heat was emitted. The fissure soon expanded and headed at Morgan. Sounds of explosions were heard from the earth's insides. It had caused an eruption. The sorcerer was the target of this wrath. He was covered in flames and began screaming, but not from pain. Instantly, the fire put down and Morgan tried to respond to the tactician's attack.

"I'm disappointed Robin! I expected much more, especially from you!" He shouted, sounding like a madman. With his smirk on his face he brought a purple tome out and immediately was covered in his dark aura, as well. The two magicians looked like were inside of two flames, one red as blood and one dark as night.

Morgan's tome was different, as it had a strange symbol carved on it. He shouted once more. "This magic is so devastating it's capable of channeling the power of my lord! It's time to see, the _truth, my truth_!"

Then, Robin was the target of countless lightings, as a result of the dark magic. The gleam had a purple light, while a cloud of darkness was also formed and attacked Robin. The tactician was unable to avoid or react to it. He experienced pain, unlike any other. He felt the very own core of every cell of his body exploding and his very own heart stop beating. He screamed as a result, because there wasn't anything left for him to do. The electric current flowed inside his body and he sensed it obliterating his body. At that time the pain stopped. Robin was left unable to feel anything more. He opened his eyes only to realize he couldn't see anything. Without the ability to hear, see or sense anything he let his body fall on the ground.

When the darkness began to fade Lucina faced the sight of her fallen comrade. Tears of fear, sadness and despair ran down her soft white cheeks. "It can't be!" She told herself, without being able to accept reality. She found Robin's body on the ground and noticed it gave off smoke. On the other Morgan had knelt on the ground and barely even breathed.

With her misty eyes she pleaded for him to respond. She begged him to get up.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 9: Vert_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! How you've been! It's been quite a while since I had time to even write an A/N! It's good to be able to do so once more.  
So, the destined fight between our dear magicians is far from over. I'll make sure to give it the epic finale it deserves. I'm aiming on a less than week release... Let's see how this might go...

Replies to recent Reviews:

-ShadowFenix98: Honestly, thank you for your kind comments and for reviewing! The feeling of knowing what you write is entertaining is one of the finest rewards indeed! Thanks for sticking with the story! I'll work hard not to disappoint.

-Jex/The Insane One: I wrote from the perspective of an insane man, who had the opportunity to torture not only with the body of his victims, but with their minds as well. I know it may have sounded more smooth, if I had changed some words, but I'm trying to get the message across, of how ruthless, evil, dangerous and mad that person is. It's a bit complicated, but either way I would like to thank you for taking the time to give this story a chance.

-Axel Rider: I believe you want to say "Long time, no see" :P Thanks for the help. There's nothing more supportive than to read all the kind reviews my fellow readers post. It's really something that makes my day and drives me forward. It's worth noting that I've indeed overcome pretty much most of the obstacles that came in my way. The fight was nothing close to easy, but we managed to emerge victorious and with a smile on our face. :)

-Guest: I really had a rough time reading the review, since I couldn't make out some words. However, I would like to mention that the story is all planned out, from day 1. I know exactly the pace of it. :) And please take a look on the Chapter count. It's chapter 9. The story has plenty more to offer. So, it's not over yet, and you're judging based on its 1/3. Nevertheless, I would like to thank you for taking the time to review and for your honesty. I'm working hard to satisfy, if not everyone, as many readers as possible. :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	29. Chapter 9: Vert (III)

**Vert (III)**

* * *

"Don't do this to me!" She cried, while she tried to approach him. Her arm was aching and hadn't completely stopped bleeding, but with Robin's life on the line, she focused only on him.

Robin was unconscious. He was lying on the ground with his eyes closed and his clothes ripped. His beige shirt soon was filled by blood stains, which expanded little by little revealing his wounds. While he was standing still, the young lord stared at him and his condition. Her mind travelled back to the time they had first met, how she had found him exactly in the same condition. He was helpless, like a scream that no one can hear. Though, she was the one that had saved him from the village. There was something special about him that even she couldn't exactly comprehend. Moreover, that instinct of hers proved more than right. Robin earned his place with the Shepherds and her trust.

They had gone through many things together in those last months. Her mind was deluged by countless memories of them together. With her eyes being misty, her hands were trembling. She then tried to lean her head on his chest, right above his heart. The sound of his heartbeat, though weak, echoed in her ear like a melody and washed her worst fear away. Her droplets reached Robin's shirt. She murmured: "Get up Robin, don't leave me…"

* * *

_Robin sighed. "That's the Severa we all know," he thought. However, the look in her eyes had changed. Something in her hazel eyes was different, like they were sparkling. Robin just stared at them. For a second it seemed like he forgot about the fight. Was she enjoying herself?_

_Severa was known for her devastating attacks, skill and decent speed. Thus, when she trained with her comrades they would often withdraw quickly. They were no match for her, the swordsmen at least._

_"Oh boy, here it comes! Hurricane Severa strikes again!" Owain said excited. "I haven't seen this, since her sword sparring with Lucina," Inigo noted. "It's fascinating to see how Robin can react to this attack," Laurent replied. The vibrant swordsman then raised his fist and shouted the mercenary's name. Though, she was solely focused on making her next move that if she paid even the slightest attention to anything else than her moves, then her attempt would be worthless._

_She ran at Robin, with an incredible speed. The tactician tried to concentrate on predicting her next attack and rushed at her as well. The mercenary quickly touched the edge of her sword and started swinging it with an increased speed. It moved so fast like there was an invincible shield forming around her. Robin certainly wasn't expecting it. When she came closer, in a blink of an eye she aimed her katana at Robin sword's weak spot, close on its tip. It found target, as Robin was the one surprised by her attack and exhausted enough not to hold his sword tighter. Then, Severa immediately raised her sword and moved it in a way like she was about to chop his wrist. Robin held back and when she observed he was looking at her hands, while she was holding her sword, she kicked him, right in the stomach._

_Falling right on her trap, Robin was unable to follow her actions and found himself getting hit by her once again. In a matter of seconds, took a glimpse of what it looked like a flash. A sword hitting multiple times around his head with such an amazing pace, like it was a storm of stars falling on earth._

_"Dead, dead, dead, dead…" Severa kept murmuring, when she suddenly stopped. She left the tactician immobilized and speechless. Before he was even able to say anything, she mocked him._

_"You're all words Robin… You're no match for me when I begin to fight seriously," she said, turned her back on him annoyed and began walking away. Robin stood still. "What in the world happened?" He thought. Soon, Owain came next to him. "Don't worry Robin! That was Severa's signature move! I like to call it… Mythical Shooting Star Sword of Legends! She moved her sword so fast just like shooting stars. Damn! It makes me want to challenge her myself. What? What's this!? My sword hand twitches! Severaa!" He then shouted at her, though when he turned to find her she was already close behind him._

_Robin noticed she had come back and asked her about that move._

_"Maybe if you weren't thinking all the time you could have fought back, you dolt. Rule number two: always keep fighting, always," she said and left for real this time, while reuniting with her comrades. Robin saw the scarlet beauty walking away with pride._

_"Keep fighting, huh?" He told himself and smiled._

* * *

Morgan weakly got up after kneeling. Lacking physical strength he balanced himself and didn't fall down. He took one slow step forward Lucina and shouted repeatedly: "I won!" Lucina on the other was still over the body of Robin pleading him to move.

She then laid her head on his chest once again and left another tear. Suddenly she closely heard his heartbeat getting stronger. Robin faintly moved his hand and stroke Lucina's dark blue hair. The lord surprisingly smiled at him, with tears covering her sky blue eyes.

"Thank you," Robin murmured and began using his strength to get up. While they were trying to, Morgan was getting closer. He was slowly walking towards them, holding his last tome. It was purple and had a circle drawn on it.

"How, how in the world you keep getting up? How in the world you keep fighting?" He angrily shouted and let his aura burst. "Your life force is mine," he said. "Yours and hers!" He smiled evilly.

Lucina had helped Robin stand on his feet. The tactician began moving towards his enemy. However, there was something different. Robin's aura became brighter and brighter and soon a fierce red light cloaked him. Robin stopped walking, closed his eyes and raised his hands. He opened his palms and started moving them in a circular motion. His aura was reacting to his movements. At that moment, it flashed. A savage stream of fire was directed towards the sorcerer. It was so strong that even the earth beneath them shook. The echo of the attack could be heard. It was the sound of a menacing wave hitting its target. Soon, it exploded on the sorcerer. He screamed as a result, but was able to limit its power using his own magic as a shield.

Robin opened his eyes and quickly drew his sword. Morgan was still on his feet trying to maintain his balance. Robin began walking towards his enemy and minded his step, because he barely stood. Morgan had knelt down once again and faced the ground. The sorcerer couldn't give up. "This can't be true…" He silently said and decided to draw his own blade.

"I see you withstood my attack," Morgan yelled at Robin. "I guess the same applies to you," he responded and stood opposite of him.

"I have to finish this, Morgan. The world can't handle any more destruction. This ends here. Return the sphere and we'll spare your life," the tactician informed him. Morgan responded with an angry glare. He raised his blade high and attacked Robin. The tactician lifted his own sword and blocked his hit. Feeling the exhaustion and his muscles burning he focused on holding his sword with all of his power. Morgan did the same and pressed his forward.

"Argh," the tactician yelled and pushed his sword. At that moment, he quickly swiped it across Morgan's blade and freed himself from the lock. The tip of his sword faced the ground as he wasn't feeling strong enough to even lift it. He tried, however, and moved it against Morgan. He decided to protect himself from the hit by using his sword, but Robin's attack was enough to let sword's handle slip from Morgan's grip. The sorcerer's body was the first to surrender to exhaustion. He lost his balance from Robin's hit and collapsed. His dark aura was no more.

Morgan then saw the tip of Robin's sword facing him. However, he looked directly in Robin's eyes. The tactician observed the sorcerer for one last time. The person who was close on murdering all of the Shepherds had fallen. Robin had won. Thought, he didn't feel like it.

"Still I'm no match for you father…" Morgan thought misty-eyed. Before he closed his eyes and accept Robin's judgment, he faced him and with his remaining power said: "Do it… Please…"

Robin pierced Morgan's chest with his iron sword. Morgan didn't give a strong shout. Instead he exhaled his last breath. "I'm sorry fathe…-"

The tactician immediately knelt in front on Morgan's corpse. Lucina at once urged to be at his side. With her good hand she touched Robin's wounded check and saw his face. It had dirt, blood and scars, but she locked her eyes with his. The tactician couldn't control his emotions and burst into tears. He let the river of his emotions flow on his face and laid his head on Lucina's shoulder.

She moved her hand behind his neck and hugged him. "It's over," she said gently. "It's all over."

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 9: Vert_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! Long time no see right? Thank you for your patience. Well, truth to be told my internet was shut and it took close to a whole week to be fixed. Imagine your life with no internet for a week... It's definitely not the end of the world but it feels "different." Don't worry, in the meantime I was able to plan and finish this chapter, while schedule the Chapter 10 for a quick release. A QUICK release. ;)

So, what did you think of the fight? I really put an effort on those last chapters trying to deliver some action. I hope I managed to do it.

Replies to recent Reviews:

-ShadowFenix98: Thanks again for reviewing! Your words are really rewarding. Thank you for your patience with this chapter and for sticking with the story :)

-mannyistal: Haha, it's funny because that was supposed to be the last "Update" I would ever make. Honestly, the whole "Update" thing was created to inform you when the rest half of a chapter was finished. I never intended to troll or lessen the excitement of any reader. Anyway, thank you for reviewing and I hope I don't disappoint from now and on. :)

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	30. Chapter 10: Rise

**Rise**

* * *

_Fellow readers, once you've finished reading the chapter, please make sure you check the disclaimer in the Author's Note. Thanks :)_

* * *

She moved her hand behind his neck and hugged him. "It's over," she said gently. "It's all over."

Soon, Morgan's body began to dissolve, much like Risen did before him. Robin witnessed it with tears in his eyes, always together with his lord. The corpse turned into a dark mist and was carried away by the wind, like sand on a windy desert. There was only one thing left from him and that was his clothes and things he carried with him.

Robin, though, couldn't forget Morgan's last words. The sorcerer mentioned his father. However, Robin felt like he was addressing to him. While, he let the stream of emotions out, in the form of tears, he thought hard about it. It couldn't be, right? Morgan looked around his age, if he had called him a brother that would have made much more sense. Their appearance had tremendous similarities. Having thought that, Robin convinced himself that Morgan's father couldn't be him, and that was a person either dead or alive. One thing was certain; whoever was his father would have been deadly powerful. Morgan had enough strength to kill all of the Shepherds; he was powerful enough to control an army of Risen, dragons and a legendary Griffon. He was scared to imagine how powerful the person that taught how to use magic could be.

The tactician felt Lucina holding him tight and closed his eyes. He got a grip on himself and tried to calm down. Lucina slowly let him go. The tactician was left gazing in her blue eyes.

"No, it's not over," he tried to respond as calmly as he could. Lucina, surprised by his words asked him to explain himself. Robin continued: "Morgan… This… T-This doesn't seem right. It doesn't _feel_ right." Lucina remained silent and curiously waited for him to go on.

"For reasons I can't explain, I feel broken. I feel empty. I've never k-killed before, at least I can't remember doing so. However, I feel like a murderer," he confessed. "But, he left me no choice. He wouldn't have hesitated killing Nah, Severa, Cynthia and everyone. I couldn't let him murder us. I couldn't let him hurt you, right? If you were hurt, what would the reason for my existence be?" He reluctantly added. The lord spread her arm and wiped the blood from Robin's forehead. "Robin…" She silently said.

"You have much more to give to this world than protecting me. You've been living with us on this hell for so little time, but look how much happiness and hope you've brought to everyone! Look how much Owain looks up to you. I'm trying to say that you have no right to carry the burden of this world's future on your shoulders. You'll always have us. We'll forever be right next to you. And you have my gratitude for being next to me so many times," Lucina told him and found the courage to put a beautiful smile on her face.

Robin's body was on the verge of destruction. He was still in pain, but Lucina's soft words made it all go away. At that moment he was carried away by his feelings. He felt the rush, the need to express himself. "L-Lucina," he said seriously.

"Yes, Robin," she blushed and responded with her eyes locked on his.

"I would never leave you. For you, I could fight anyone and anything. That's why I'm trying to make your dream come true. I want to give you a new world, a world where you can hope, without fear, death or despair. And I would do anything to make it come true. Even if it will cost me my life…"

"Robin! How can you even say that?"

"_You're_ my life Lucina. As long as you're safe, I'm more than alive. Ever since I opened my eyes at that village and laid them on you, I felt this connection between us. I owe you everything. To me a hell on earth isn't this world, but a world where you're not part of. No Morgan will ever take you away from me," he said with a fiery passion. Lucina was astonished by his words. "You don't mean…?" She murmured.

"Lucina, I've fallen helplessly in love with you. I tried to tell myself not to, but I could never suppress my emotions," he said and held her cold hands. She began blushing. Robin felt her heartbeat raising and his very own heart beating like crazy, as if it was about to explode. He stared at her and anxiously waited for her response. That feeling. He felt like his legs were cut off and his hands were shaking. She remained speechless and the awkward silence was killing him.

"… I sincerely apologize, if I'm coming like a wyvern on a heat. I understand this is all sudden, though please know I'm not trying to force you on anything. Whatever your respond is I shall accept it, even if it is painful. And know that we'll always be friends," he said in order to break the silence.

The lord began to speak. "Oh Robin… I'm at a loss for words right now. Y-You're dear to me, you already know that," she said with her face getting redder and redder. "But, we can't be together. It's impossible. Not when our first priority is to save the lives of our friends and bring hope and peace back to the world," she told him serious. "You're an important person in my life, b-but I don't see you as you do."

Robin then heard a loud noise, like something had cracked inside him. His fiery eyes that burned the passion of his love abruptly were put down. He felt the breeze of the air at his wounds and how cold it was. His cheerful face soon turned into an emotionless look. He decided to put on a façade to mask his broken heart.

"I understand. How foolish of me? I sincerely apologize, again. A-At least, can you keep this between us?" He calmly asked. Lucina nodded. Robin then tried to get back on his feet with no luck as he felt his knee weak. He would have hit the ground if Lucina hadn't helped him. While keeping her injured arm dressed by Robin's robe, with the other she helped the tactician to stand. Robin thanked her for the help and as they both had got up they noticed what Morgan had left behind. The tactician didn't know how to react or respond. Inside him there was the feeling of rejection and anger, but on the other he understood Lucina's feelings. He decided to pretend he never said anything.

"What should we do with those?" Lucina asked like nothing had happened between the two. Robin responded he had no clue. He added he was unsure if he could set a small fire, since he felt powerless to use his magic.

"Don't push yourself too hard. After all I'm sure there's nothing left rather than his clothes and weapons. But we ought to destroy them, so they don't fall on the wrong hands," she added. Robin understood she was correct and, after closing his eyes, he chanted a weak fire spell, which was enough to set a small fire on Morgan's clothes and belongings.

Robin saw the small fireball embracing the robe and soon expanding. It burned the cloth as well as the tomes that Morgan had left. They both watched the fire burn everything to ashes, along with their dark memories of the sorcerer. From their first meeting at the Arc, to their last fight on the Valley's cliff. The tactician couldn't possibly be feeling guilt. Though, still inside him he was sure there was more in his final words. The mystery of his father remained unsolved.

Much to their surprise the fire revealed something they had forgotten. A bright light came out from the fire. It resembled a sphere. As soon as they saw it, they both knew what it was. It had to be it, since it explained a lot. Then, from inside of the ashes, the sphere shone in a vibrant green color.

Lucina felt enchanted by its light and immediately rushed to take it.

"Hold on!" Robin told her, at once. "Let the sphere cool down a bit. It's too hot to touch it right away," he advised and sighed. They had gone all this trouble to find the next gemstone and finally it appeared in front of them.

"Two down, three more to go," Lucina murmured. "At least now, we're the only ones who know about the existence of the map and stones," she added.

"Are we?" Robin thought. At that time Lucina let go of Robin, who could stand on its own, now, and used his robe to take a hold of it. She immediately felt accomplishment and joy to see their hard work finally paying off. Robin understood her feelings and felt happy for her, but let a big sigh. He saw the lord carefully putting the gemstone on the robe's pocket. They picked up Robin's sword, which he sheathed and his tomes.

"So, our next destination is-"

"Lady Tiki," Lucina quickly added. Judging from her reactions and way of talking, Robin was amazed by how well she acted like nothing had happened just seconds earlier.

"And that concludes the Valley. It sure had everything. Maybe it had too much," Robin thought looking down, as they were ready to go. Lucina saw his expression and before she could speak Robin's face lit.

"Wait," he raised his hand as a signal to stop. "How are we supposed to climb our way back?" He said and raised his head only to see the a blue stripe of sky from the opening of the cliff's two edges.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 10: Rise_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! First thing first, **MIND THE SPOILERS** ON THE REVIEWS ESPECIALLY THIS CHAPTER'S Thanks:)

Let me continue with a small **DISCLAIMER**! before you hit the unfollow button. Well, there sure is nothing more demotivating than seeing people leaving the story, but I guess it happens. Please, just think that the story isn't over yet. I've planned it out from day 0. Everything is going according to a plan. So, judge the plan not this particular chapter. The story is not over yet. And also note this short message isn't neither a confirmation or de-confirmation of anything. :)

I've delivered as promised a "quick" chapter release. I'm feeling really creative this period so next time I'll aim for more length, quantity and quality. I won't stop until I achieve this small ambition of mine. We're really close...

Replies to recent Reviews:

-ShadowFenix98: Thanks a lot for reviewing. It's great to know I'm improving as a writer. In the end anything I do is to please my readers and unleash my imagination on to the "digital" paper. I'll work hard to become even better. :)

-Draen: It's great to hear you like the story! Rest assured I was aware of the situation. Even in the games this "law" is broken at one point, which shows that in the end a male Robin can have a male Morgan as a son. Can't say anything more... ._.

-Iron Mario: It's awesome hearing from you again, I hope you like with how the story is developing. Please mind the spoilers in the reviews. :) Plus, yup, who knows what lies in the future? Robin's love life can be the stories biggest mystery... :P Thanks for reviewing and for your kind words. I'll work hard to meet everyone's expectations.

Please don't mind any grammatical errors. No copyright intended. Also please keep in mind that there is a problem with the site (at least for me) and bold text isn't showing up with the default font. Change the font for bold text to appear. :)

As always, until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	31. Chapter 10: Rise (II)

**Rise (II)**

* * *

Robin was left with his head looking upwards. He knew they were all alone and had no way, by any means, to get up. They couldn't climb, nor fly. Their only hope would be help from the outside. Lucina was rather calm and affirmed Robin that help would come, if they could make a signal to their comrades above. However, Robin felt too weak to use his magic, needless to mention he just got back on his feet and was barely standing on his own.

The lord understood their situation. She would never risk Robin's health for the sake of her freedom.

"So, what do you suggest?" She asked him.

"I… Don't know," he responded. Even though, he risked everything for their safety he hadn't taken account of this situation. However, inside him he knew everything would turn out to be fine; that they will return to their friends and continue pursuing their dreams. He just knew it. But it wasn't enough.

"We should notify them about our position, but how can we without magic? She wondered. The tactician saw her expression. She was getting more nervous by any minute passing.

"We can't just wait here for their help. We have to help them find us. We must," she said determined. Robin stood next to her, knowing that it was time to take action. He extended his arm and touched her shoulder. She turned and looked at him. His eyes revealed his care for her and he murmured: "Don't worry."

Robin reached his fire tome with his hand. Lucina immediately urged to stop him from doing what he was on the verge of doing. She grabbed his hand from his wrist tight enough to immobilize him.

"Don't! You shouldn't exhaust yourself. Not in your condition," she said worried. Robin shook his head. "Don't make it sound worse than it is," he replied with a smile. "It's our only option. In the worst possible scenario, I'll get treated by Brady," he said assertively. Lucina locked her eyes with his. Robin nodded. She let go of his hand and he took out his red tome. After those many uses it looked damaged. Robin told Lucina to move away from him and she did as told. The tactician closed his eyes and held the tome.

"We can do this," he thought. "There's no alternative option. Sumia is deadly injured and I have no idea how Minerva is doing. Come on, Robin tiredness is just in your head. Our real power is inside us."

He sighed. Then, he inhaled deeply and began moving is hands like he was about to execute a powerful magic. Robin put all of his power on this spell. He felt like a magical stream moved from inside him to his attack. Like something had left him. He extended his hands with might and chanted the Arcfire spell. However, this time the spell was a lot different. Robin recoiled from his spell's force.

He had created a fireball in the size of his head, which slowly travelled vertically. The fireball surprisingly reached the half distance between them and the top. At that time, the fire exploded. The explosion's sound was really strong and due to the echo they heard it more than once. Nevertheless, Robin's aim wasn't to create a loud noise. The fire not only did explode, but also created smoke as flew upwards. The tome burned along with the fire.

The knockback from casting the spell was indeed strong. When Robin cast it he felt his body being pushed back, like Kjelle was hitting him with her lance. The tactician never saw the outcome of his action. His eyes closed immediately as soon as the fireball was created. He neither remembered what happened after it.

Lucina saw Robin's body falling and rushed to prevent it from falling again. She knelt to fully hold it before falling. She was holding him saddened to see he had passed out. His body felt heavy and she carefully placed it on the ground. Lucina immediately checked his heartbeat to confirm he was fine. She placed her head on his chest, again, and sighed from relief.

"Ah, Robin. You'll never change," she said and lied next to him. She faced upwards waiting for help. She noticed the smoke on the air and how it started dissolving. The lord waited patiently for their friends.

After a short time, a wild cry echoed. She stayed alert and instinctively took a hold of her Falchion and was ready to unsheathe it if she sensed danger approaching. The loud cry was heard once more, clearer this time. It was music to her ears. Minerva was coming. She quickly got up and tried to get a glimpse of her friends coming. Lucina moved her arms as a signal for them to reach them, but soon her injured arm ached and she stopped.

The wyvern with her keen eyesight spotted her two comrades. It roared from happiness and began flapping her wings with eagerness to reunite with them. Gerome touched her rough neck with his hand and was relieved.

Gerome told Minerva not to let her impatience affect her. The cliff was edgy and narrow. They needed to fly cautiously and safely. Under the guidance of the experienced rider Gerome navigated his partner through the cliff's edge to reach his fellow comrades. Gerome's eyes turned misty after he laid his eyes on his friends. He was, of course, wearing his mask to cover his real feelings.

Soon, the wyvern reached the place where Lucina was waiting with Robin unconscious next to her. Minerva had slowed her pace and the moment she laid her foot on the ground, Gerome quickly let go of her and rushed to aid the injured Lucina and Robin. The sight of Robin lying on the ground had him worried.

"Lucina, Robin! At last we found you!" Gerome said eased in mind. "I heard a lot of sounds like explosions, but then they suddenly stopped. When I heard them again, I knew it was you. The smoke made your position clearer."

The dragon rider stood close to Lucina and then knelt to examine Robin's condition, though Lucina affirmed although Robin wasn't dead, his situation was critical. Gerome nodded and was ready to carry Robin, when he felt the need to ask.

"Lucina, you look distressed. What happened?" He asked curious, after also observing her arm being tightened by a piece of cloth. His words were true. Lucina wasn't as calm as she was known to be.

"Don't worry Gerome. I'm fine, it's just we've been through quite a lot. W-We must also take care of Robin. Please, we should hurry," she said concerned. The rider decided not to ask any further question about their small adventure and did as he was told. He helped her get up and with some effort carried Robin on his arms. He was surprised by Robin's wounds and how the dark red blood was sprinkled around his face and body. Robin's clothes were ripped as well and revealed huge scars. This fight made Gerome only more curious to find out what had happened to them.

Before long, Gerome had placed Robin on Minerva's back.

"I see Brady took a great care of Minerva," Lucina noted as she felt the beasts back.

"She stood lucky. Some other didn't," He said saddened.

"What do you mean?"Lucina asked fearing for the worst. Gerome remained silent and only confirmed that none of the Shepherds was hurt, which only dazzled Lucina more.

Flying with three people on her back was a difficult task for the wyvern. However, it wasn't impossible. She felt rejuvenated after Brady's staff healing miracle and understood that her old comrade needed her help more than ever. Lucina was holding Robin's body not to let it fell off.

"Ready?" Gerome asked. Lucina nodded with determination. As such, the rider hit Minerva gently on her back as an order to begin her flight. The wyvern spread her wings and moved them upwards and downwards with force, while she began running. Then the dragon jumped and was soaring the sky.

The three took the road to return. Lucina held Robin's body, even though her arm ached. She held it with care and only laid her eyes on him, having a saddened expression.

Although, Gerome seemed to struggle in navigating, after while they both got out on the open sky. Lucina's eyes witnessed the sky's infiniteness once more. As they were flying, Gerome spotted the Shepherds from afar and ordered his trusty dragon to fly close.

* * *

"Gerome's back!" a sweet cheer was heard inside Shepherds small camp. Some of the members of the team gathered to provide with help, if needed, to their comrades. The moment Minerva landed, they saw Robin's unconscious body and immediately thought of the worst possible scenario. Gerome got down and, once more, took Robin in his arms. Right next to him the lord ordered to bring Brady, at once. Unable to comprehend the situation, the Shepherds started to worry. Owain realized his cousin was in a shock and gulped.

Not all of her friends were present at that time. However, Lucina's priority was Robin's health. With any minute passing, Brady wasn't showing up. Kjelle replied that the priest was at the moment busy, but she had already sent Inigo to bring him to her.

Due to the lord's focus on the tactician, she didn't realize that the team of the Shepherds were in a bad mess. Close to her were only Kjelle, Severa and Owain. The rest were being taken care of.

Lucina raised her head and looked around her. She closely observed the tired faces of her friends and the look on their face; fear, worry and melancholy. It resembled a pyrrhic victory. Her team had managed survived, but with many of them getting severely wounded.

"Where's Cynthia?" Lucina asked scared.

"Brady's with her right now. She's…" Severa wanted to finish her words, but was interrupted by Inigo.

"When you fell on the cliff, a lot of us thought you could have died. Because we didn't want to settle with this, we thought Brady focused on healing Minerva. I'm surprised he actually managed to fully take care of her. However, Minerva wasn't the only severely wounded animal. Sumia was also hurt, more like lethally damaged. Our priest can only heal, but he can't bring her from the dead."

Lucina froze. She spoke with difficulty. "S-Su… Sumia's dead?" The lord asked with her hands beginning to tremble.

"Cynthia's mourning for her," Severa completed her sentence. She, like everybody, felt the same shock when they witnessed the cold hard reality. The lord stood there and saw Brady fast approaching, but she couldn't get over the fact that the Shepherds were already down one member.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 10: Rise_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) It's good to be back, actually. _Rise_ is all about the aftermath of the incident's on the Valley. Our characters have been injured, demotivated, scared, but they need to face their problems and rise to complete their goal. But can they go all the way? :/

Replies to recent Reviews:

-Guest- Haha, it's good to have you back :D I'm undeniably pleased to know I've become better in my usage of the language. I'm working hard to improve and make you feel the story is worthy of your time. Plus, you got that right, about Robin/Lucina. I mentioned it as well on the previous update. Moreover, I haven't forgotten about your idea, but we'll just have to wait and see... -.-

-ShadowFenix98/Robin89- Thanks for your kind words :) Everyone pretty much knows about those stuff... Thanks, again, it's good to know that :)

-Draen- Thanks for reviewing! :) Yes, I have some things in store for Tiki ^-^

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	32. Chapter 10: Rise (III)

**Rise (III)**

* * *

"Mommy! Mommy! Look at what I made! Mommy!" the young girl cried with her high-pitched voice. The little angel held in her hands her newest creation. She held it with care, like her hands were holding something precious, something i. Her mother gently got the girl on her hands and cheerfully replied: "Please, let me see what you made." And so, the girl revealed from her hands a bronze spearhead. She smiled and her mother's face lit.

"Cynthia! That's amazing. You actually completed it," she said surprised.

"It's the spearhead, mommy, for the spear we wanted to make! Now I can become a Pegasus Knight, like you!" She giggled. He mother gave her a soft kiss on her rosy cheek and stroke her daughters dark blue hair. She then carefully put Cynthia down.

"I'm sure you'll so just fine, sweetheart, Sumia replied with a smile. "I promise you to finish the spear as soon as I get back okay? Mommy has a job to do, right?" As soon as, the young princess heard those words she began crying. She let her emotion flow outside of her cute eyes, as she begged her mother to stay.

Sumia immediately hugged her daughter and squeezed her tight. "What is it, Cynthia?" She asked surprised.

"T-That's what d-d-daddy said…. Before he… l-left…" Cynthia said in tears. Her words broke Sumia's heart. The queen knelt and wiped the tears from her daughter's cheeks. "I gave you a promise and I'll fulfill it," she assured. Her words gave courage to the young girl's heart, as she stopped crying.

"And remember that a true hero never cries. He faces life with courage. Do you know why?" She asked in an attempt to calm her. Before Cynthia could reply she heard noise behind her room's door and a tall man, fully armored got inside. He had brown hair and a strict look on his face.

"Milady, it's time," he told his queen with respect.

* * *

Lucina was at a complete loss for words. She couldn't comprehend the situation. With her bare hands she held the injured body of the person that sacrificed himself for her more times she could count, while she found her friends injured, feared and broken. On top of all, Shepherds lost one transport and carrying unit that was something more than just that. Sumia was the first Shepherd to die. Noire's leave was a shock for everyone, but no Shepherd had passed away until then.

Lucina wanted to cry, shout, and curse. She wanted to let her emotions out, but instead she put on a façade. She tried to act calm, because she had to not show her weak side. That's who she was.

The lord heard Brady's boots and saw him coming along with Inigo. The priest looked tired and stressed. He was breathing heavily and without wasting any time he greeted them and prepared his staff.

"Lucina! Your arm!" He said with surprise. He gazed on Lucina's cut sleeve and huge wound. It had stopped bleeding, but he was sure the wound must have hurt a lot. Then, he lowered his head to see the tactician unconscious on the lord's hands. His clothes ripped and his body was filled with wounds and mud. Brady felt sorry for his friend. He didn't need any explanation about what Robin had done this time. Whatever he had done, Brady was sure it was brave for him.

The priest touched his wooden staff on Robin's chest. It began glowing. A bright light illuminated the area and caused the Shepherds to close their eyes instinctively. When it faded, it looked like nothing had happened. Robin was still unconscious and Brady seemed more exhausted than before. The priest breathed slowly and put his head on the tactician's chest to listen to his heartbeat. It felt weak, but it was there.

Brady turned at Lucina looking unsure. She seemed pale and stressed.

"Dontcha worry. I'll make sure he's all right. You should go see your sister. The lord listened to him and got up to see how Cynthia was doing. She felt her legs ready to collapse and the palm of her hand shaking. Lucina also felt her body getting colder and could barely balance herself to walk. Inigo, as well as the others, rushed to aid her and Severa took her by the hand to take her to Cynthia.

"Damn," Brady said and focused on his work. "What the hell has happened?" He thought and his staff began glowing once more. Robin's body reacted to the healing magic. Once the staff's effect wore off, Brady placed his head on Robin's chest to be certain his friend's condition was stabilized.

"Phew," Brady sighed. Owain soon asked him if Robin was okay.

"Not sure," he replied. "His body's good. It's a matter of time for him to wake up, but I don't know when that will happen. In this journey of ours, I've witnessed so many illogical things…" He continued. "He's pushed his own body far beyond from its limits. He should have been… dead." The priest said amazed.

Owain nodded in understanding and sighed as well. "That's our Robin." He, then, saw how badly torn his friend's clothes were, but was amazed by how his wounds had healed so quickly. Without wasting any time, the myrmidon knew he couldn't leave his friend there.

"Inigo! Help me place Robin along with the others," Owain told him. After the battle at the Valley, many members were badly injured. Their absence made that clear. Thus, outside of the Valley, the injured Shepherds had been taken care of, by Brady.

"Sheesh." Brady got up and was ready to leave. "This must be the busiest day of my life," he thought. The priest and the warrior then left together to reunite with Lucina, while Inigo followed Owain's words.

Severa brought Lucina to her sister. Severa kept a distance from the knight, since she didn't want to interfere. The lord witnessed her sister lamenting the death of her Pegasus. However, Lucina knew it was more than that. She thanked the mercenary and asked her to leave them alone.

Lucina saw the animal's corpse in front of her. Seeing Sumia and her sister in such condition tore hear heart apart. Sumia and Lucina had cherished so many memories together. The thought that she was dead scared her.

She got closer to her sister who noticed her. Cynthia, the most cheerful of them all, was sobbing. The knight felt her mount soft hair for ne last time. She was chanting. Lucina decided to kneel and sit next to her.

"Thank goodness you're all right!" Cynthia told her and hugged her. She wept on her sister's back, with the latter unable to think of anything to say to comfort her.

"S-Sumia's..." She said weeping. "She'll never come back." To the apparent question "where was Brady?" Lucina already knew the answer. She remembered that the animal had crossed the cliff to bring both Nah and Cynthia to a safe place. However, they were hit by Morgan's devastating magic. She was certain that the flying mount couldn't have made it.

"She's… Agh-" Cynthia broke. The knight's tears run down her soft cheeks. She wept and wept to the point were Lucina would cry too. But she didn't. She wanted to, but didn't. Lucina felt she had to get a grip on herself. She had to be the one comforting her sister, not crying with her. While Cynthia was weeping on her shoulder Lucina knew she had to tell something.

"No" Lucina immediately responded. "No, of course she didn't. Never say that again." She turned serious.

"Sumia will always be next to us, protecting us, watching us…-"

"Stop it!" Cynthia screamed. "Can you see her? Where's mum? Where's dad? We're… a-alone Lucina!" This was one of the few times Lucina saw her sister reacting this way. It was like she became a different person.

"I-I might not be as smart as Laurent, but they left us! N-Nobody returning. Nobody's living inside me…" She said closing her eyes. She wiped her eyes and stared at the ground. Lucina didn't know how to respond. She felt her sister's argument couldn't be countered. She paused and took a deep breath.

"Cynthia, do you remember why a hero never cries?" She asked her as she stroke her dark blue hair. Lucina's words surprised her. Her mind was brought back to when she was still at the castle of Ylisse enjoying her childhood. Her father's face was brought in her mind. Chrom faced every problem occurred with courage. It was why both of the girls looked up to him so much. He was, in fact, Cynthia's hero.

"Because he…" She began murmuring. The rapid rivers that flowed on her face had stopped. "Because he believes... He's unshakable by any obstacle that comes in his path. He faces life with courage," she said like she was telling a short poem.

"And the most important thing… He never loses hope. Hope… will never die, as long as he believes in it," Cynthia finished her words. She cried no more.

"And I believe in hope. Do you believe we can save the world?" The lord asked her calmly.

"I-I… do," Cynthia reluctantly replied.

"Mom and dad are always with us. You might not see them, but they're here. There's something between us. Something like an invisible tie. No one can break this tie. Not even death. And know that I'll never leave your side. You can always count on me.

Cynthia stared at her sister. Lucina's look gave her strength. She had put a brave face and that gave her courage. Her eyes were overflowed by determination and focus for their shared goal. Then she noticed the wound on her sister's arm.

"Your arm!" She said in fear.

"Oh it's nothing. Brady will soon take care of it. We all owe him a lot for his work." Cyntha nodded. "Speak of the Gr-"

"L-Lucina!" The blonde priest appeared before them. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and seemed out of breath.

"How's Robin!" The lord inquired at once. "… Nah, that ol' mage w-will live," he said. "Please let me see your arm, though."

"Of course!" Lucina nodded and Cynthia moved a little away. The priest held her arm with care and closely observed her wound. "Damn, that looks like a deep cut! L-Let me handle it!"

Lucina responded with a soft smile. To her a mere wound was nothing. They had survived the battle of the Valley, found Vert, and defeated Morgan. What looked like an amazing feat was in fact only a small step towards their only goal. She knew about it. However, they had now one more weapon in their convoy, Vert. The gemstone held an extraordinary power. If only they could learn how to use it. Now, though, wasn't the time for a celebration. They had to focus on their next destination, the Mount Prism.

She let Brady do his work and relaxed as she felt her arm getting colder by the staff's light and watching her wound being healed little by little.

* * *

"Lucinaa! I'm scared," the young girl said in terror. "I-It was a... Monster! It had two horns and six legs! I-It's under our bed. I saw it!"

"Come on Cynthia. There aren't such things as monsters. You just saw a little bug. I'm sure it's… GAAAH! A monster!" She screamed only with the sight of the terrifying insect. The cockroach rapidly crawled across the room spreading panic between the two princesses. They left their room and ran as fast as they could to escape. They got past the castle's corridors and continued running like the wind. At that moment Cynthia looked at a window close to them. A beautiful sight filled her heart with joy.

"She returned!" The young girl said and was overwhelmed by joy. She ran faster than to the point her sister couldn't catch up. But she was sure of what she had just seen. It was her mother's Pegasus. There was no doubt about it. It had returned home. Her mother was alive.

When Lucina finally caught up with her sister she noticed Cynthia had abruptly stopped moving and had frozen. She had stuck to the window and was looking outside. The young girl had locked her eyes on the corridor's window. Suddenly, her cheerful face turned into a bland and saddened one. The Pegasus had returned without its rider.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 10: Rise_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) I've finally found the time to upload the next chapter. I apologise (again and again) for the delay. So, my comments on this one are that it was a bit hard to write. Writing about heartbreak is (to me) easier than trying to write about a loss. And that girl had lost a lot. I hope I did live up to your expectations. Also, I would like to thank everyone for sticking up with the story until now. The "bro-hood" is growing! Lastly, the next chapter will be "Lady Tiki." You can guess what comes next...

Replies to recent Reviews:

-Antiques thief: I actually didn't get what you meant in your review... You felt the "drama" wasn't necessary? If so, I can only say that in a future of death and despair drama is the only logical thing to expect. If else, then.. I dk :P

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	33. Chapter 11: The Road to Mount Prism

**The Road to Mount Prism**

* * *

"Ugh…" Robin felt his head heavy and wanted to lie on the ground forever. His arms and body felt like they were pinned on the ground and he moved them with difficulty. The pain throbbed and pulsed in his skull, which wasn't sharp like Lucina's Falchion but more of a dull pounding steel hammer that hit him again and again with any second passing. This led him not being able to fully understand what was going on around him, neither process what was going on around him.

Robin opened his wide-shut eyes and faced the dark clouds on the sky, which slowly expanded and turned into a deep black cloak. Surprisingly, he heard nothing. Not a single noise, not anyone murmuring his name, not anyone chuckling. Nothing.

While his head was aching like crazy, he tried to overcome this pain and used his strength to get up. Then, he noticed he was wearing a new set of clothes. His robe was nowhere to be found and he thought it should have been obliterated, as well as his beige shirt and pants. On their place, he wore a dark version of them. At that moment, as he was looking at his clothes he noticed a smudge. The tactician tried to examine it only to notice again his dirty hands. He looked closely and made out his hands were filled with blood.

Instantly, he petrified. Then, he discovered more blood stains on his new shirt and began losing it. He desperately looked around. The sight of a barren world with no sign of life expanded in front of him. Robin breathed heavily unable to comprehend what was going on.

"What the heck?" He thought and paused. Robin took a few deep breaths, since he was sure it was another dream of his. Suddenly, he remembered. "Yes, I've been here before," he thought. "It's the same dream, like when I fought Noire," he continued and observed his hands, trying to understand his dream better.

_"You're wrong Robin…" _a voice was heard from the silence. _"This isn't a mere dream… This is your future!"_

Robin's heart skipped a beat. "W-What do you mean?" He tried to ask calmly, though he couldn't. The tone on his voice revealed his fear. The tactician knew that soon he would face his past and truth would be revealed, at last. Nonetheless, he was afraid of hurting his friends and beloved ones, due to the fact that he had so many times revealed his inner self; a uniquely powerful one, yet strange and uncontrollable.

_"You did all these, Robin. And you'll do them… again."_

Robin remembered the illusion he had, in which Severa had died. He had indeed murdered his friends and burned them with his ungovernable magical power. He remembered his first illusion, where he was consumed by the darkness. The tactician nervously tried to figure out where the voice was coming from. However, it was familiar to him. Robin knew who spoke to him. It was the black hooded person he had met from the valley.

"No! You're… Y-You're lying!" He shouted back, unable to comprehend the situation. He would never believe in such fate. He swore to protect them. He swore to fulfill Lucina's dream. How on earth could he live with the possibility of being the one that crush it? Because, he was unsure of his past. No matter what anyone told him, no matter the warming comments and "thanks" he heard, while he was with the Shepherds, deep inside something was missing. Morgan had told him he burned the village, where Lucina and Gerome had found him, and the hooded man, who was on the brink of murdering Lucina, told him:_your biggest torture is to kill every last inch of this silly emotion of yours, hope. Once, I see the fear in her eyes and her world tearing apart, I will then kill her. Or I have a better idea…" _Then, Robin's thought of the worst-case scenario. Was unleashing his true power against the Shepherds the hooded man's master plan? If so, then his older self would've been more than evil.

Robin couldn't even raise his head from the shame. He stared the barren ground and let the blood on his hands fall, droplet by droplet. Soon, he closed his eyes, unable to bear experiencing more of the dream. However, when he opened them he saw a single corpse in front of him. Robin could recognize that scarlet red hair from anywhere. Miraculously, her body was erratically moving. At once, Robin rushed to get closer to her. He couldn't believe he was witnessing the same thing all over again.

He immediately regretted his decision, as he couldn't bear looking at her. The mercenary's white face had two deep scars, one of her left cheek and one that extended from her forehead to her right eye and then her lips. Her torn clothes were filled by blood, as Robin noticed her stomach had been viciously pierced. A tear ran down the tactician's cheek. He knelt and held Severa's hands. They were cold. She had always a fiery personality, but this time they were as cold as snow on a winter's day. Much to his surprise, she desperately tried to say something to him. Her eyes rapidly moved and looked stressed as they laid on him. Robin had to hear her words. He moved his ear closer and listened to her weak voice. "W-Why…?" Her word broke him. For reasons he couldn't explain from all his friends in this dream he saw Severa in front of him dying. Not Kjelle, not Nah, not even Lucina, for whom Robin was certain he had feelings for.

_"She was your first victim…"_

"Stop it! I-I would never do such thing!" He screamed with his eyes getting mistier with every second passing. "What am I doing? This… This is a freaking dream. I-It's an illusion," Robin yelled like a mad man. "I-I would never…"

_"You will see…"_

* * *

"Do you believe his fine? He's been asleep for quite a while," Nah asked while sitting next to the unconscious tactician. Robin had his eyes shut and seemed like he was fast asleep. The manakete was closely observing him, impatiently waiting for him to wake up.

"Damn, Nah! Just let him rest," the redhead yelled. "He'll eventually wake up. He… always does."

Robin's closed eyes began moving and soon he woke up. The first thing the tactician saw was the arctic blue sky. It was morning, as it seemed, while a cool breeze made him feel chilly and his skin cold. Then he heard the lovely cheer of his young manakete friend.

"R-Rob-Rob! Good morning! How are you feeling?" Nah asked him with a warm smile on her face. The tactician understood his fire spell had worked and that he was transferred safely back to the Shepherd's temporary base. Judging from his surroundings the Shepherds hadn't left the Valley's entrance yet.

"L-Lucina! We're Lucina?" He immediately asked back, worried, as he tried to raise his body. Robin sat on the rough and dry ground, along with Nah and Severa, whom he had yet to notice.

"She's… Where's she again? Severa do you know?" The young girl inquired the mercenary. Severa the smiled sarcastically and responded: "Haha, you've begun to worry a lot for her you know," she said ironically. The mercenary was the last person Robin expected to see, when he woke up. She almost never spent time with him, only for the sake of training or when at lunch. Now that he thought about it, she would often become isolated, or pick up a fight with someone.

"Oh come on Severa! Just answer the question," Nah replied irritated. The mercenary sighed and told them the lord was currently busy training her sister with the aid of Kjelle. Robin nodded and tried to get up.

"Thank you for taking care of me, while I was asleep."

Before Nah could reply, Severa interrupted: "I-I just came to see Nah. I knew you would be fine, you dolt."

"And how's that?"

"You always keep coming back Robin. In a magical way, you always do," she said honestly. Robin was surprised to hear something good about him from her mouth. As he was processing that though, he realized…

"GAH! Where are my clothes? What are _these_?" He said shocked while looking at himself. His shirt was gone and his pants as well. In their place he wore a dark indigo shirt and deep black pants like Brady's. However it wasn't the clothes themselves that troubled him.

"W-Who… did… ehm…?" He tried to ask feeling embarrassed.

"Of course not you pervert! What did you think I am?" She yelled at him annoyed. Robin wanted to feel relaxed to hear that, but for a reason he couldn't.

"N-No, I never said th-"

"I know exactly what you said! Hmph." Severa left looking furious. Robin had no idea what just happened, or what could follow next. Seeming troubled, he turned at Nah and saw her shrugging her shoulders. The tactician giggled and was content with the fact they had made another step towards their shared goal. Their adventure at the Valley was lost and it was time for them to make the next step.

"It was Brady," the manakete revealed. Robin nodded knowing it was probably the priest's work. Nah then gave him her hand to help him get up. Robin stretched his body and yawned. Feeling rather rejuvenated he thanked her for everything.

"Also, I'm really glad you're alright. What would we do without you?" He said and was read to catch up with the others. Nah blushed when she heard his compliment and was left with a grin.

"I-I should inform the rest about your… awakening. I believe we need a little more things to prepare and then we'll be good to go."

Robin remembered their next destination was the mount prism to meet with Lady Tiki.

"Oh! I also forgot!" The young manakete then held his hand and pulled him to come with her. She had a serious look, which made Robin curious about what had happened. As they were walking in a fast pace he felt the manakete's hand. It was soft and warm. Robin's face got as red as Nah's hood.

"Where are we heading? To Brady?"

"No. To… Never mind, _you'll see_," she replied, again in a serious tone. Robin was left baffled, but her last three words echoed on his head. Suddenly, his painful dream came to his mind. If the hooded man was correct, the mercenary would be his first victim.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 11: The Road to Mountain Prism_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) These two weeks have been so rough for me :P Almost no time for writing. Also, I felt like I needed to rewrite the "Mountain Prism" adventure, since I didn't feel that my original plan lacked a few things and I wasn't satisfied by it. Anyway... I apologise for the delay, but since I'll have more free time soon, I hope for a quick release... Ehm... How many times have I said that again? :P Don't worry, I'll honestly try my best. :) I'll also reply to the recent reviews shortly :)

Happy Holidays everyone!

Replies to recent Reviews: [TO BE UPDATED]

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	34. Chapter 11: The Road to Mount Prism (II)

**The Road to Mount Prism (II)**

* * *

The grandmaster looked pale and tired. He felt his consciousness ebbing away and his thoughts coming to an end. His eyes began to grow heavy, because he was giving in to exhaustion. Sitting powerless, the tight binds across his wrists had left them cut and bleeding. Despite this, Robin couldn't show any kind of fear nor surrender to pain. It would only satisfy his tormentor. At that moment, he stopped his narration. He didn't have the strength to continue. His limbs were aching and the stress over his partner's life could tear his heart apart.

"Huh? What happened?" He asked with his strong voice. Robin having his eyes shut didn't respond. As a result it only made him unleash more of his rage on him.

"Look at me!" The man said in anger and held the tactician's head with his right hand. He pressed his fingers with enough strength for Robin to feel his skull would crack. It was enough to shake him up. He raised Robin's head with force and observed his face. His evil grin made Robin a lot more uncomfortable.

"Look at yourself… Grandmaster. Your plan… It was destined to fail, because-" the squeaky sound of a door opening was heard. A line of light filled the room. The dim light from the candle wasn't enough to illuminate the small room wholly. A male voice interrupted him. A voice Robin found surprisingly familiar.

"Sir! I'm afraid she still hasn't complied. Shall we proceed in her execution?" That last word was enough to enrage him and make him lose his mind. His heart was thumping faster and faster as he had fully regained his consciousness. Robin desperately shook his body and limbs in an attempt to escape, with no luck. In fact, he only ended up hurting his body more, as his wounds burned him more with every second passing. Robin couldn't handle it. He was screaming her name, just to make sure she was all right, without an answer.

"Shut up!" The man furiously shouted at him and hit him on his face. The blow was enough to make Robin bleed over his cheekbone. He felt dizzy and the world around him spinning.

The man then revealed his small knife under his right hand. It was a silver knife, sharp and pointy, while Robin's blood had filled its handle head.

"Tell her he's dead," The tormentor ordered. The subordinate without making any sound closed the door and left.

The tormentor raised Robin's shirt and slowly moved the knife close to his chest. With no remorse he sliced his chest. Robin surrendered to the pain. The agonizing effect of the knife was enough to make him scream loudly.

"Feels good? Great, _cause that's how I felt_!" He shouted and manically delivered more brutal hits on Robin's face with fury, like he was beating his archenemy, until Robin stopped making any noises. The man stopped as well and let out a deep sigh.

"You took everything from me Robin. When she… When we fought… How did you think I felt? How?" He began reaching the point of insanity. The grandmaster was unable to follow his words. The deep cuts on his head, and the ache across every inch of his skull, made him impotent of reacting.

"If you scream one more time, I swear I'll… You think what you're going through is _pain_? If you disobey you'll plead for something as sweet as this." He wanted Robin to remain silent, in order for his plan to take effect. Robin's partner thought of him dead.

Robin couldn't even move. With his head bowed he struggled to speak.

"I…"

"Noooo! Noooo!" This high-pitched female cry was enough to make Robin's eyes cloudy. He heard his beloved one's cry of grief. The tactician felt he could withstand any rough hit and any form of physical pain, but bearing to listen to her mourning was something out of his reach. Plus, he knew that if he shouted her name, to show her he was alive, his tormentor would keep his word and make him suffer more.

"I… trusted you," Robin said weakly.

"Well, I can't say the same for you. Ever since we found you on that damned village, I knew you couldn't bring me anything other than trouble. But how could I predict you would turn up to be this strong?"

The traitor was right. Robin thought of that as well. He always considered his blood to be a curse rather than a gift. In the end, it had cost him more than he expected.

"Now, back to where we started…" He said and with a quick move he sprayed his face with a liquid. It was vulnerary, to heal him enough so he could be able to speak again. The potion burned his skin and Robin strived to remain silent. However, he was at a position to talk this time.

* * *

"Come on Nah! Where are you taking me?" Robin inquired and observed the manakete. The two jogged across their base with Robin unsure about Nah's intentions. As her artichoke green hair sparkled due to the suns rays, she couldn't stop smiling, something rather rare for her since sometimes she proved to be more mature than most of the Shepherds. Robin had just fought alongside her and couldn't be more pleased to see that she was fine. However he as intrigued about what emotion made her act this way, when he knew under which circumstances they lived. The relief of surviving? He thought so, as he faced death more times he could ever have thought of during their fight at the Valley.

"Nah, wait," Robin told her and stopped moving. "I have something I need to ask you." Nah's face soon became as red as her little hood.

"Y-yes?" She weakly asked. Robin's face turned serious. The tactician let go of her warm hand and locked his eyes on hers. The young manakete felt her heart pumping in an uncanny way.

"Nah, you know how much I trust you. I would therefore like what I'm about to tell you to be a secret between us and only us. I'll also inform Lucina when I have the time."

The manakete cooled down. Her excitement turned into uneasiness and inquired an explanation from Robin.

"I believe there's someone in our team, who doesn't share the same dreams with us," he said worried.

"What do you mean? I'm afraid I don't understand," she told him.

"I-I mean that one of the Shepherds worships… Grima. One of our friends wants to betray us," Robin revealed and lowered his head. Nah couldn't understand, as if her brain short-circuited and needed to reset. She pressed the fingers of her hands on her mouth, her eyes moved rapidly, as she tried to process what Robin had just told her.

"H-How do you know?" She asked shaking.

"You need to believe me on this. At the Valley, when I returned to find Lucina there was a person with a hood, but not Morgan. He knew everything about us, from our appearances to our backstories. However, he confessed to me that he had gained all these knowledge because of a _friend_ of his."

"What if he was lying? He must have said that to trick us!"

"No, I doubt it. How would he the have all this information about us? That's why I am asking you: Has anyone acted weirdly? Has anyone be out of character?"

Nah couldn't target any of her friends. "I-I just can't… Why? Why would anyone do this?" She said saddened.

"Nah, your opinion is important. Do you believe there's anyone we can suspect? Anyone that has a weird habit?"

The manakete pressured herself to answer he question. She thought really hard and at one moment her face lit. "I think I found something. I believe-"

Suddenly their conversation was interrupted. Robin heard someone shouting his name and instinctively turned to face them. In front of him, the vibrant swordsman walked impatiently, towards the two. His golden hair reflected the sun's light and he got closer.

"Robin! It's good to see you're alright my friend! Finally, my sidekick has a good story to relate!" He said with his cheerful and positive attitude. "Also, did you learn about the sad news?" Owain continued.

The tactician was surprised to hear that. With his body language he responded he hadn't and then the swordsman proceeded in telling him that Cynthia's trustful Pegasi Sumia had passed away.

"…Yes, and unfortunately, now Kjelle and Lucina are teaching her to fight on the ground, since she was trained for aerial battles. My cousin is worried about her. She thinks the loss of her, didn't only made Cythia's mood very poor, but also weakened her and made her an easy target, because she hasn't fought on land before. Anyway, I'm glad you're okay," Owain said and asked him one last time: "So, did I interrupt something?

Both urged to prove him otherwise, only causing him to giggle. The tactician smiled and told him Nah was supposed to take him somewhere.

"Yes, I was going to Lucina to inform he's woken up, since she wanted to see him," Nah said with her soft voice.

Owain nodded and discreetly left them alone, leaving with a weird grin on his face. As soon as Robin felt the two of them were alone and nobody could overhear them, signaled her to finish her words.

Nah nodded and revealed with courage: "I can't think of anything, but I have a strange feeling that Inigo gets up at the night and leaves our base." Robin was caught unaware. "He might be plotting something at night, away from us. That's all I can think of," Nah added.

"Thank you Nah. Your information was helpful. I would have to find him then, before he openly becomes our enemy," Robin said in a calm tone. "And Nah. Trust no one," he warned her.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 11: The Road to Mountain Prism_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) Happy New Year! I wish best of health to all and luck. :)  
I hope you all enjoyed the holidays! I'm afraid I got supreme late this time, because I suffered from a writer's block. It happens sometimes, but I'm grateful for your patience. However this helped me to plan out some of the next chapters, so it won't bug me for a while...

So, two more things left to say:

Firstly, I know this chapter ended up short, because of the writer's block and due to the fact that it's the first chapter of Arc2, or Phase2 of The Man That Never Was, meaning we're pretty much half way there(!). Things from now on will get a little different, as many of you expect. Robin will try to find the traitor and the team will head to Tiki for the next information regarding the gemstones...

Secondly, something amazing happened recently. That "Following" number hit 100. One of my wildest dreams became a reality. After 9 months of hard work I succeeded in achieving this stupid dream of mine. Believe it or not, it's just a number, but to me it shows that many readers did enjoy the story enough to hit that button. My dream of making people either relax or past their time happily or entertain or learn something from the story was completed. This makes me pumped up for becoming even more better. Nonetheless, I'll say a cliche phrase: Without your help none of this would've happened. Thank you, for everything. And I also need to thank some friends for helping me polishing the story. I hope the ride is enjoyable and that we will finish it together! :)

Replies to recent Reviews:

-Antique's thief:- Oh ok, no problem! You're definitely right, since she spent all of her days trying to become a better rider. Now things undeniably will be different.

-Elasmotherium:- 1st) Thanks! I try really hard to show such emotions. I'm glad that you like it :)

2nd) Well, it's the traitor from the Prologue... Plus, don't worry when I began writing I understood that I could never please everyone, it would be impossible. So, I wrote a dim timeline that I believed could please the most, but I agree with what you said. I had a vision for the story since day 0 and I tend on making it happen.

-Guest:- 1st) Thanks for the kind words. Heartwarming comments really push me forward to become better.  
2nd) Happy holidays! No I made clear on one of the previous A/Ns that Lucina is not out of the way. Well, I planned this story without even knowing about the paring that rules the site and stories. I wanted to make this story as unique as possible, but on its own way. Thus, I'm afraid my words might disappoint you, but although I never forgot your suggestions, which were really good, it would be really hard to make some work. Creating a 7(!) way ending is unreal, because I don't have the time to create the fundamentals with 7(!) female characters in such a low amount of chapters (30). I feel it would be a disgrace the characters, if I wrote about them badly. So, definitely not a 7 way ending. Also, I made clear that the story isn't a harem, because in harems the female characters fall for the main character for no particular reason. And even if it isn't remember that a character can't pop up from nowhere and form a relationship with him, I feel it's unreal. Moreover, yeah GrimaRobin is doing what he can to prevent his own destruction! We'll just have to wait and see if Robin will truly kill him. Naga's words still apply here.

-Draen:- Uhm... The first part is the "now" (remember the Prologue Chapter). The rest chapters are nothing but Robin's imagination and the detailed "past" that leads to the Prologue Chapter. :) Hope I helped!

-ShadowRobin89:- 1st) Thanks for reviewing! Well, I definitely have something is store for our favourite tsundere character.  
2nd) I'm doing my best to improve and satisfy my fellow readers. :)  
3rd) No, as I said on a previous A/N, Lucina isn't out of question. :) Thanks! I try hard to do my best and meet up to your quality demands and standards. It can be a little stressful from time to time, but it's because of great reviews that I keep seeking after better and better quality in my chapters. I'm kinda glad that people find the story interesting and even with suspense! :) No, no. Nah isn't "the traitor" he was a "male" after all. xD Nonetheless, thank you for sticking with the story and I'm glad to hear posititive feedback. My job is to make sure I live up to it and deserve it.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	35. Chapter 11: The Road to Mount Prism(III)

_Please take the time to read the A/N. Thank you :)_

* * *

**The Road to Mountain Prism (III)**

* * *

The tactician didn't know how rough his words were. The manakete didn't know how to respond. How could she actually follow Robin's advice? Thus, she had doubts over Robin's theory. She took a deep breath and responded with courage.

"Robin, wait. Better forget what I told you. What you just said… I think it's crazy. You can't possibly ask me to live a life of suspicion? I-I mean, the Shepherds are the only family I have left. We've fought together, we laughed together, we cried together. Even in this living hell, we all share the same ambition. An ambition of rebuilding the world from the ashes Grima left. We all do. Oh, Inigo, please forgive me… Each one of us is willing to sacrifice their lives, if it meant to save the others. Lucina, Laurent, Inigo, Owain… Even Yarne, who… gets a little too timid at times. We all have flaws, but together we strive for the best. We are one. That's why I feel nobody would even think of something as overwhelming as betrayal. And keep in mind that Noire isn't acting on her own will. It's the talisman's fault." When Nah ended she felt like a burden was lifted. It seemed like she needed to reassure herself that Robin's devastating scenario would never prove to be real.

However, even if she didn't want to acknowledge it, deep inside the core of her heart lied fear. Fear beyond her imagination. This feeling was getting stronger the more they battled, the more they got nearer to death. It was like the light of hope was getting dimmer. But how could she believe in such emotions? Surrendering to them would lead nowhere.

Robin's thought of a traitor was a solid one. In the valley he met death and true fear for the lives of your beloved friends, his own and for the woman he loved. And her small speech found him agreeing. How could the person who risks their lives for yours betray you? Nonetheless, he had to make sure that there wasn't even the slightest possibility of his theory proving right. It was his character that couldn't let him accept the hooded man's words:

_"Your friend told me…"_

Robin nodded and smiled. Nah replied with the same way. "You're right Nah. I also believe nobody could betray us. However, I can't… I just can't…" He said with difficulty.

"What is it Robin? It's alright to tell me." She reassured.

"When he held his knife, when he threatened to put an end to our dreams, he looked… real. He wasn't toying with my emotions. He knew about my fears. He knew about facts that were impossible for him to know otherwise. Gah!" He then shouted. "I don't know what to do," Robin continued and lowered his head in discomfort.

"That's why you just have to _trust _us. Like everybody trusted you," Nah said and looked at his eyes. She tried to look through them. Through his emotions and inner feelings. Though, the only thing she could sense was his burden. The never-ending burden to free this world of its sorrow. And she then understood that it was this burden, which couldn't let Robin's doubts go away. She knew he wouldn't stop.

* * *

"Again!" The loud and strict voice of Kjelle was enough to inspire Cynthia to try harder. Cynthia tried putting more and more effort. She was breathing heavily, but Kjelle blocked each of her attacks without breaking any sweat. Then the knight span her lance around, controlling it with such easiness like her weapon was a part of her body. One could be amazed by the lance's maneuvers and tell how much practice she had put in it. Kjelle swan her lance with force and knocked the former Pegasus knight back. Cynthia who barely kept her balance, found herself getting hit on her feet by none other than her mentor. She fell on the ground and this time stayed there.

"It's okay Cynthia! Don't worry!" Her sister encouraged her to keep up. For the knight it seemed like an impossible task. For all of her life she fought on the air and only used her upper body and arms to attack, while with her legs she controlled her trusty mount. Now, she had to run predict, withstand the rough hits and play mind games with her opponents, much like how her sister always did. Thus, she began doubting herself. And her clumsiness didn't help at all.

The young girl had knelt and breathed in a fast pace, with her eyes looking nothing but the ground. With her fist she punched it and let a tear fall. Her sister, as soon as she saw her, came to her aid. This practice made Lucina go back in time, to when she was learning the art of her sword.

"Ironic isn't it?" She thought.

Cynthia never liked violence. She had never resorted to violence. However, everything changed with their mother's death. After they became orphans, something in Cynthia changed. It was like her destiny forced her to become something she never wanted to. She was forced to learn how to use the lance, instead of enjoying her childhood. And now, when she had accepted her new role, she was compelled to become something entirely different once again, and go through all the difficulties of adaption for one more time.

"Hey! Is everything alright?" The mercenary inquired with curiosity. Judging from his expression he was worried as well. Soon, he rushed to help the three of them. He knelt next to Cynthia and stroke her dark blue hair. The mercenary gave her a warm smile and locked his eyes on hers.  
"Having a rough time? It's alright to fall. It's _human_ to fall…"

Robin had just arrived at the scene to talk to Lucina about his thoughts. When he arrived he saw the man he suspected for treason comforting the fallen knight, like he was her older brother. It was no surprise to find him there, because he often accompanied or spectated the training of others. This time, his actions showed signs of compassion and care. Robin felt embarrassed. Then, he saw the four of them helping Cynthia getting back on her feet. They looked at his direction and spotted him.

Robin wanted to believe in Nah's words. However, the more he tried the more he couldn't. He had two options. The first was to strive to find how the hooded man knew so much about the Shepherds. If he found a logical explanation then every single suspicion would be no more. On the other, he could try talking to everyone in a way he hadn't until now. Like an interrogation.

Inigo waved his hand at Robin and was happy to know he was fine. Seeing him awoken meant that they would shortly leave for their initial destination, Mount Prism. As he tried to approach him, Robin noticed that he was walking with limp. It seemed weird since Brady could have easily healed him. On the other, it could just be his mind playing tricks on him.

Lucina was relieved to see he was fine, after everything they went together. Deep inside she wanted to rush at his side, though at the same time she didn't. Robin and her exchanged looks, but the tactician couldn't understand her true emotions. He sighed. She put a faint smile on her face and immediately ordered her comrades to prepare their stuff for their leave. Plus, Cynthia was on the brink of breaking down, due to their hard training. Everyone knew how vulnerable she had become without her mount.

"Sis, before we go, there's something I need to do," she calmly asked.

"I know. I need so as well," Lucina said.

Robin soon reunited with the rest of his friends, who gave him a warm welcome. The Shepherds, with Robin at their side, celebrated their success for getting the Earth Gemstone. They especially commended both their lord and the tactician for their fight with Morgan. Eventually, having packed everything, the worlds' last hope for salvation took the road to reach their guide, Lady Tiki.

* * *

_Midnight..._

* * *

Upon their road, the Shepherds decided to camp for the night, as always. The dark sky had expanded revealing the bright white stars twinkling in sync. After finding a soft spot to rest, Lucina agreed that it was the best time to end today's travels. Their tents usually formed a large rectangle. On the middle the one who had the role of the guard, would always be alert for any case.

Robin tried to get some sleep after the exhausting hours of walking. Unable to feel his legs from the sheer wariness, he was relieved that it wouldn't be him to guard for the night. Thus, he found a cozy spot on to set his tent. Without wasting any time, once he finished, he lied on the ground to finally get the sleep he needed. The tactician felt his eyes and body heavy and before he knew it he was already asleep. His exhaustion helped him in a way. After a series of unfortunate dreams, he slept for once without thinking about them. His mind looked back to what troubled him most; the hooded man's words. Thought, when he and Lucina had to relate their fight with Morgan he remembered his last words to his father. For a second he thought he was addressing to him.

After some time, while he was sleeping, his eyes instantly opened wide. It was painful for him, but he remembered what Nah had previously informed him. _"Inigo has a habit of staying awake at night and leaving their base."_

And tonight it was his duty to guard until Laurent succeeded him. He was unsure how much time had past since he was asleep and if Inigo had finished his shift. The tactician felt the chilly air in his skin and his body getting colder. "I have a bad feeling about this," he thought. In his mind he decided to further investigate if there would be a traitor. Undeniably, he hadn't lost any faith in his friends. In fact after Nah's words, he trusted them more. However, just in case, he decided to check what were Inigo's intentions and if everything was alright, as expected, leave the suspicions aside for good.

Slowly and steadily, the tactician crawled his way out of the tent. At first, he minded his movements and then he tried to listen carefully to any odd sounds. Robin tried to put all of his focus on his ability to hear. Silence. Nothing could be heard, apart from some snores. "Damn it Yarne!" He thought. Fortunately enough, nothing seemed off. Then, he stepped outside of his tent to take a look for himself. The darkness of the night made it way more difficult to see anything. If it weren't for the moon's slight dim light, he wouldn't even see beyond himself. He thought of creating a small fire, but in the end decided against it, since he would wake the others up.

Robin concentrated on finding where Inigo could be, with no luck. There was no trace of him.

"It can't be. It must be the darkness," he thought. Nevertheless, the more he tried the more upset he got for not finding anyone. Soon, he left his tent. "He can't have abandoned his duties."  
Robin found himself leaving the base as well. As he walked past the last tent, he saw a shadow. Though, he didn't feel fear. On the contrary, he was more intrigued to see what that thing was, due to its intricate movements. He tried to hide, so he could see more of this enchanting spectacle. The shadow gracefully moved, making him wanting more. "It's like… It's dancing…" Robin thought, possibly ending the mystery behind the mercenary's actions.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 11: The Road to Mountain Prism_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) Phew... it's been quite a while. However, it couldn't have been any other way. I was so busy the last month, my free time for a new chapter was significantly diminished. I hope I can return to regular "unstable" routine of 1 chapter every 5-10 days. :/ Also, because of a serious problem that I face, I will be taking a break on mid-April until mid-May. After it I can devote myself fully in writing and upload to the old pace of 1 chapter every 2 days!

Unfortunately, my comments on this chapter are that it was more of a "transitional" chapter rather than filled with "plot-progression." But, rest assured in the next one we'll see the motives behind Inigo and (finally) the Shepherds would reach Mount Prism and Lady Tiki.

Lastly, I've created a new poll. I would appreciate if you spent 1 minute of your time to answer it.

Replies to Recent Reviews: (you can also check the previous chapter for all the previous ones)

Latest review:  
-Guest:- Thank you for your amazing words. I'm working really hard with this story, trying to make things add up, learn and portray the characters better and (the most difficult part) retaining readers attention. It's undeniably a privilege to see this hard work pay off through the kind words of a fellow reader. I can only promise on working harder for better quality. Thank you again for reviewing. :)

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	36. Chapter 12: The Voice of Naga

**The Voice of Naga** (Hiatus is over, New chapter tomorrow 5th of June, and regular updates from now on)

* * *

Morning. The large glowing sphere rose slowly into the dull morning sky. Golden rays were beamed in every direction and the dark sky would be succeeded by the brightness of the sun. At around this time, there would have been the birds chirping happily and the members of the earth's last hope would have been rejuvenated. But that wasn't the case. At least, partially it wasn't. Soon, they packed all of their equipment and belongings and set foot to reach their destination and make the first big step to secure their victory.

Robin was walking under the guidance of the fallen exalt along with his team. To make things worse, since Cynthia wasn't there to carry a considerable amount of equipment, they had to take her place. This made the personal sacks of each member a little heavier. Only Brady's was left the same, since the only thing he was carrying besides his staffs and tent equipment was his violin. He was always careful and treasured it like it was the most precious thing in the world for him.

Robin, like always he would follow patiently and conserve his inner energy. His best way to kill time was to be lost in thought. This would often cause problems, since he was keen to stumble across something every now and then. Nevertheless, when the time was right, a chat with friends was always welcomed. He got to meet them better, or hear some stories, which would seem to have taken from the darkest pages of a horror book. This day was one of those. The tactician silently walked besides his comrades and minded his step.

"Hey! Rob! How was your sleep?" The vibrant swordsman greeted him. He seemed keen for a talk. The swordsman was looking lively as ever. Little by little as the sun rose his golden hair shone slightly more.

"It was definitely different… You see, I had already slept for quite a while hadn't I?"

"Yeah, but you were greatly taken care of," he affirmed with a silly grin on his face. Robin giggled from awkwardness. As they continued he observed the mercenary. He was still walking with limb, hiding it with amazing effort. However, Robin, who knew his problem, could clearly see it.

"Who're you staring at?" Severa furiously asked. "Huh? No one?" Robin responded unsure of what he had done. Owain settled things for him, but the mercenary responded with attitude. "Hmph!" She did and turned her back on them. Robin just sighed.

He was once again lost in thought, remembering the last night.

* * *

"This must be an act of dancing. But Inigo… a dancer? This could be his secret and the reason to leave the base. His fear of getting teased at, explains this behaviour; becoming isolated enough not to be seen or heard…" Before he could end his stream of thought, the shadow suddenly collapsed. The tactician moved closer and whispered: "Inigo! It's me Robin! Are you alright?"

Although, the moon's and the stars' light was dim, the tactician was able to witness the embarrassed face of his comrade. Inigo seemed to have trouble getting up. He wasn't wearing his armour, but his ordinary clothes.

"R-Robin?! How long have you been here?" Inigo whispered, unsure about the tactician's intentions. The tactician felt rather eased. He was either a man short on his list, or closer in scrapping the overall idea of the traitor. Everybody has their secrets and this should be respectable.

"Enough to appreciate your effort. Come on! I'll lend you a hand," Robin silently responded and lifted Inigo up. The mercenary was able to stand, but as soon as he tried to make another step he was on the verge of falling again.

"I doubt his legs are weak, but also the possibility of being hit is low. I'm sure Brady healed us all didn't he?" Robin thought. Inigo sighed. "Don't worry, I'm fine. So, uncovered my secret…" He said embarrassed. This confirmed he was indeed dancing. "Just to be sure," Robin said. "You mean the fact you were dancing right…?" He added.

"Why? Is it such a big dea-" Inigo subconsciously was raising his tone and Robin immediately told his to keep quiet. "No! Of course not." He responded. Then, he remembered the missing link. Inigo's mother was a great and famous dancer. Olivia was known for beauty beyond bounds and majestic dancing and singing abilities, with her fame even reaching the continent Valm. However, she was also known for her shyness. Robin connected the dots in his head and figured the similarities between mother and son.

"Don't worry I got you covered. Just let me take you back to-" Inigo with a quick movement denied the tactician's help. He responded with pride that he could move on his own. At that moment, Robin observed how weak his left leg was. "He must be injured…"

"If your leg hurts then why not ask Brady's aid?" Robin curiously asked. Inigo moved his hands refusing to answer and silently began moving towards their small base.

* * *

"ROB!" Are you listening?" Owain asked annoyed. Robin became the center of attention to many. Awkwardly, Robin nodded and kept moving.

"As I was saying, next time we train, I really need you to teach me how to use those books!" He said excited.

"Ehm… You mean the tomes?"

"Yes! The tomes. I mean anything magic related! Laurent said I'm not cut out for it, but I want to hear your opinion as well." Robin was silent.

"Why do you want to learn magic?" He asked back. Owain's request was something he never expected to hear. It definitely came out of the blue.

"I remember my mother. She was very skillful with using them. But I admired father a lot and so I wanted to become just like him. Now, after seeing how magic saved both yourself and my cousin, I believe this is the right time…"

"The what?"

"The time to become master in both physical and special attacks! Just imagine the versatility mastering both magic and the sword! Well, I've already mastered the latter, but just imagine-"

"Owain!" Robin interrupted. "Get a hold of yourself. Magic isn't something easy to do. And I honestly don't know if you can suddenly learn how to use it. Laurent knows a lot more and I trust his judgment. And you should too I believe."

_"One hour left until we reach the Selene village!"_

Her voice was music to Robin's ears. Finally after quite while they were about to reach their first stop. Selene was a small village located near the Mountain Prism. Lucina knew that it would probably be destroyed as well and was unsure of the existence of Risen troops in it. Shepherds had to be alarmed at all times. If they managed to cross it safely then it would be a matter of only time to climb the mountain to Tiki. On the other, Robin was found at a place much like how the Selene village was thought to be, so "You never know…" The tactician thought.

Soon, the Shepherds arrived at their first destination. A sigh of exhaustion was heard. Gerome gently stroke Minerva and told her to have her nose sharp for any potential survivor. Lucina though, shook her head.

The Shepherds entered the village. Without any surprise it was damaged and destroyed. Most of the buildings had their interiors gutted and all windows, doors and frames ripped out. Amazing amount of dust was spread all over the debris. Bricks, wooden frames blocked some paths. On top of everything though was the intense smell of the decomposed bodies. Quite literally no matter where they looked, they could either see bones, internal organs or limbs from a mutilated body. One could vision the immense amount of people being callously killed or ripped apart. Children, women… Most of the exterior of destroyed buildings was painted red, from the bloodshed that had occurred.

The fallen exalt's eyes turned misty. Robin saw her saddened face and shook his head. This was his first time seeing the outcome of war. The outcome of annihilation. The outcome of brutal death. He felt weird on the inside. Like his whole body got colder. The chilly wind gave him the goosebumps. How many people were under those ruins? How many lives the hands of the zombie fighters took? Robin now realized.

Every time he heard this world was a living hell, He had simply nodded. He couldn't picture those brutal images on his head. But now, he could. At that time, he came to realize Lucina's grief and weight. The legacy her father left her was a heavy one. However, she kept that burden inside her for so long and moved on, believing and hoping to achieve her dreams. He now understood her words at the Valley. What she meant when rejected him. With a tear running down from his cheek, he followed his comrades.

Silence. Nothing could be heard other than their heavy footsteps hitting the earth. Most of the Shepherds looked down, avoiding to lay their eyes on the corpses or their remnants. The feeling of grief, anxiety and fear intensified inside them. Owain's sword hand was twitching. Lucina was holding her Falchion, ready to unsheathe it when needed. The rest of the Shepherds followed their example, except from Yarne who felt his legs trembling. He panicked as it reminded him of his past and began murmuring the names of his parents over and over again. Brady approached him in an attempt to calm his down. Yarne though had lost it. His whole body was shaking and cold sweat was running on his forehead.

"I-I ca-can't sta-and it!" His keen sense of smell made it difficult for him to keep up. Above all though, the sight was anything but bearable. The team stopped to treat Yarne and calm him down. Nah approached the fellow hybrid and with tears in her eyes she spoke with the last taguel on the planet.

Robin stared at the scenery. With a broken heart he got immersed in his thoughts. Neither he nor the others had seen Inigo falling behind.

The mercenary stood emotionless watching his friends from afar. He left the party and guided himself through the narrow roads and streets. Eventually he reached one of the damaged buildings away from his team. It had no significant difference from any other building the Shepherds had seen. It had no roof and the only thing that was standing were some of the internal walls. Inigo entered and walking inside of what seemed a room. Inigo bended and picked a cord from the ground. "It can't be…" He thought. It seemed to be what had remained from a bracelet. He kept staring at it and eventually he began weeping.

* * *

_Several years ago…_

* * *

The show had ended. A large applause was heard and the crowd passionately cheered. The dancer's cheeks flushed as she bowed and thanked them. A young kid captivated from what he had seen looked enchanted on the stage. Feeling proud he clapped his hands with passion.

"Isn't she amazing?" The young kid heard a soft voice. He turned around only to see a girl around his age and height smiling brightly. His cheeks turned rose when he heard her talking to him.

"Huh? What happened? Are you alright?" The young girl asked. The boys heart rate increased as his face turned scarlet red. He felt his throat getting dryer and he tried to open his mouth as if he would murmur something, but in the end he couldn't. In front of him, a greater spectacle than the dance unfolded. The girl had white as snow skin, golden hair, which extended up until the end of her neck and sea azure eyes. As the sun fell on them they sparkled, enchanting the young boy.

"Inigo! Oh there you are!" His mother said relieved. She got closer to the two children and noticed her son's shyness. She gently stroke his silver hair to calm him.

"Whoa!" You're miss Olivia! Amazing! Y-You were amazing!" The young girl did. Olivia smiled with the girl's words.

"Thank you young lady. Would you mind sharing your name with us?" The dancer asked.

"My name is Soleil. I'm happy to meet you," she said cheerful.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 12: The Voice of Naga_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) So... I'm not dead. Thankfully I'm alive and though all the difficulties I managed to upload a chapter! Though, I'm sure this might not be what you expected... Unfortunately, I have both good and bad news. So, I'm starting with the bad news. The bad news is that I won't be able to upload for at least two more months. The amount of workload I have to do and the exhaustion I'm suffering from just don't leave me with enough time and motivated to write a quality chapter. So, unfortunately it pains my heart to say: probably the next update won't come until the end of May. Probably. But 99% it won't. I hope you understand. On the other the good news is that after that 2 month period I can fully devote myself to writing so I can upload at a pace of 1 chapter every 2 days.

You can always spend 30 seconds to participate in a small poll I made, for self improvement.

No, I haven't played Fates, yet (not until June...). And yes I know nothing about the game apart from some names. No the Soleil above isn't Fates' Soleil.

Replies to Recent Reviews: TBUpdated

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	37. Chapter 12: The Voice of Naga (II)

**The Voice of Naga (II)**

* * *

"My name is Soleil. I'm happy to meet you," she said cheerful. The young boy couldn't but feel his heart pumping like crazy. Cold sweat appeared on his forehead and the palms of his small hands had become wet.

"I-I'm… ehm…" He murmured using all of his strength. He stood still and silent. His mother stoke his silver hair again and was prepared to respond: "He's I-"

"Inigo!" The young boy said quickly. He had mustered his courage and did it. What seemed impossible had been accomplished. "I'm Inigo. Nice to meet you!" He said again with confidence this time. The girl smiled as if she was rewarding him. To him though, it was all he needed. Such a beautiful smile, enough to make his day brighter.

A loud voice was heard. It was her mother. A woman around Olivia's height came looking frustrated. "Soleil! I've been searching for you…" She would've scolded her, if it weren't for Olivia and Inigo. The woman saw the dancer and awkwardly stopped talking. She tried to regain her composure and then thanked them. She held her daughter's hand tight and soon they left. As she was walking, Soleil turned her head back to get a glimpse of the young boy. His cheek's flushed.

* * *

Out of all places, Olivia found the Selene village the most suitable one for building their home. The environment was friendly and it could provide them with the necessary goods to live. And so they did. In order to overcome his shyness Olivia made her son talk with more girls who often gathered around her after her dances. Though, for him only one girl mattered.

Years later when Inigo reached puberty, the news quickly spread. The Exalt of Ylisse had fallen. King Chrom had fallen. Chrom wasn't just any king. Ylisse had established a long period of peace after the war with Plegia and the conqueror's excursion. He was a natural leader and the person who held people's hopes for a brighter tomorrow. Soon after his fall, rumors concerning the fallen dragon's awakening spread. However, the real problem was the Risen army which came out of nowhere. The civilians were left with no choice but to fight for their lives. The villages would side with cities and become refuges, providing the front lines with men. It was around that time when his father left. Inigo would never forget the last day he saw him. Even though he was walking towards his own death, he bid his family farewell with a smile on his face. Was it just a façade to hide his sadness, or was it a result from his own hope for winning? Inigo couldn't tell.

When he came of age, he was selected to become part of the front lines as a mercenary. During his battles he had the nickname of "Invincible."

More news spread to wreck havoc and obliterate any hope left in their hearts. Ylisse had fallen to the hands of Risen. More cities followed the same path and the eastern villages weren't safe anymore. The Resistance decided that citizens from small villages like Selene should head to the emergency facility of Ark and to other eastern refuges. The remaining men from the front lines returned to guide their parents and friends to safety. However, that day they came. Nobody could've predicted them coming so fast to the eastern parts of the continent. Neither Inigo. The man was left with no option, but to fight.

The sky was cloudy, ready to rain. A selected force of a handful men fought against the small Risen army. They chose to fight them before they reached their homes. However, they couldn't keep up with their pressure and some Risen entered the village. Disaster followed. Even though, the Risen had significantly been lowered in numbers the noncombatants didn't stand a chance against them. This led, only a few, Risen to kill many.

Lots of the soldiers fled from the battlefield to aid their families. Inigo was one of them. Nevertheless, luck was not on his side. Upon finding his mother, the sudden arrival of a Risen made her sacrifice herself to protect him from a lethal blow. Inigo, now orphan, sought for revenge. With the help of his fellow comrades they successfully annihilated the enemy. Nevertheless, no one cheered. Instead they chose to help the wounded and try to bury the dead.

In a short amount of time, a new horde appeared on the horizon.

* * *

Inigo let his emotions out. Tears now streaming like a river flowed from his cheeks to the ground. He was determined this was Soleil's bracelet, though he only lied to himself. Lucina only knew this was his hometown, the place he grew and fell in love. She had no choice though. This was the closest route to the Voice.

And there was he, staring at the remnants of his previous home. No matter how hard he tried, the scars from the war were too much. It was a matter of time until he broke, like Yarne. Inigo knelt and was weeping. He didn't want to but his mind travelled back there. On that fateful night...

* * *

Darkness was about to fall. Screams. Either from pain or from angst. And fire. It was the only light that shone that night. The young mercenary stared at the beast without tears in his eyes. He had no time to grieve, only to revenge. The beast looked at him with its deadly red eyes that were beaming. It had long dark brown hair and a repulsive face. It had multiple deep cuts and his mouth wide open lusting for more bloodshed. It wore no armor and its naked muscles could be seen.

Inigo's eyes reflected not only the fire's light, but also the fire inside him. It burned to a point he wasn't thinking. Without wasting any time he drew his blade and attacked it, as if he was the predator chasing a wild and harmless animal. Inigo sliced through its chest so fast the undead creature couldn't defend itself. It gave a growl like an animal, but Inigo kept attacking. He swung his blade with fury more and more times. The blade reflected the fire's light. Everything happened so fast, as every hit would be a shooting star colliding with power with another.

The creature's eyes stopped glowing and instantly turned to ashes. It didn't stop the swordsman. He kept hitting the dust, now with tears in his eyes. Soon, he heard someone calling for him.

* * *

"Inigo!" It was none other than her. The fallen exalt stood outside of the building and had seen the man cry. The person she hadn't observed though was Robin who had followed her. He was being cautious not to be seen and kept his distance. He hid himself on the opposite building. With his own eyes he saw the hurt Inigo and realized that all of his mental pain had being unleashed. He saw her entering and knelling alongside him. He wanted to hear but couldn't interfere.

"What are you doing?" She asked curious. Robin was caught off guard. He responded embarrassed: "Severa! I think I told you I'd go to look for Lucina…"

"Are you daft? You told us you'd search for Ini-"

"That's what I meant. Now please, we have to think of something to calm him down. Do you know what might've happened?" Robin tried to correct his previous mistake and try to avoid unnecessary conversations. The redhead reacted with a scowl, sighed and replied: "I didn't know he was such a crybaby…"

Robin left looking annoyed. Whatever it was, it had to do with the previous night.

"…But maybe he was reminded of his past…" The mercenary wanted to add, but Robin had already left. She didn't want to follow him.

The tactician took a few steps closer and stared at his two comrades. Lucina had knelt next to him and Inigo had calmed down. He could bet they would've noticed him by now. Robin then realized it was his pride that made him not want to depend on others. Maybe it was his pride that he didn't want to show any sign of injury, or weakness. His alter ego was an invincible soldier who carried on his and his comrades' dreams.

"It's alright Robin. You can come here. Severa can join as well." The mercenary's words amazed the tactician. His sense of surroundings even in such a moment was as sharp as it could get. "Heh, I honestly didn't want you to see me like this…" Lucina then stepped in: "Robin, please, alongside with Severa inform the others that we must continue." The tactician nodded and slowly walked away with his head lowered, leaving them alone.

* * *

"Inigo! Thank goodness you're alive!" The woman said relieved. With her misty eyes she approached him. Inigo was still hitting the dust with his sword in a weak pace, like the sword was suddenly too heavy for him to lift. The woman knelt next to him. Her arms gripped him and left him breathless as they held onto him. Feeling a little moment of salvation from the cruel reality, the emotionless Inigo let his tears flow, like hers.

"I thought you were dead…" The young woman said. As her hand let him go, she stared at the dead body of his mother. Inigo stood still and emotionless, as his soul was drained from him. "I'm so sorry… I-" An explosion was heard from the outside and the sound from the screams became more and more distant. Inigo stood up and bid farewell to his mother. Soleil stood by his side remaining silent, just like him. The mercenary sighed and picked up his blade again, ready to fight. The woman saw the blood on her dress as well as on her hands. It was Inigo's. He was injured from his previous fights.

"Y-You can't fight like this! Let's follow the others together and leave. There's nothing left to fight for, nothing to protect!"

"I'm the Invincible Inigo. I can take a million hits but I'd still keep on fighting. Everyone depends on me! I have to be invincible. I-I can't complain or show my weaknesses. Th-The others are struggling and I have to fight as well, even with a fake smile on my face… Like my father. So, I can't but finish this once and for all." He said with bravery. Inigo stared at her with a bright smile one his face. His eyes were red, his hands weak and the wound in his chest ached, but he kept that smile and prepared to leave. Soleil rushed to him and before he knew it her arms were around him, holding him as tight as possible. She raised her head and gave him a soft kiss, which gradually turned more and more passionate.

"I'll keep them busy, so you can catch up with the others. If you followed the road I showed you the morning you should be able to reach them. We'll meet in the Ark, all right? Just wait for me…" The mercenary said as they left the building. Inigo saw beasts approaching and Soleil ran as fast as she could in the direction he was pointing at.

"When I got my way in the Ark, along with other survivors I learned nobody had come from the Selene Village. Even today I have no idea what happened…" The mercenary finished his words and stared at Lucina's sea blue eyes. They kind of reminded him of hers.

* * *

The Shepherds left the remnants of Selene village and continue marching towards the mountain Prism. The tactician noticed Inigo chatting with Brady and understood his legs had been healed. Yarne had calmed down as well and now Nah was walking next to him. Looked like the two hybrids had helped each other. Robin wanted too smile but had his own problems haunting him. At least, things were back to normal, for now.

After countless hours of travel the Shepherds finally reached the mountain. For the first time in a while, Robin saw shamrock green grass and large trees. Nah explained to him that the divine dragon's power flowed through each blade of grass there. A Risen army was nowhere to be found since Tiki was thought to reside in the Mila Tree in Valm. As a result this place was thought uninhabited and distant, due to the protection the divine dragon provided, which repelled the beasts.

The Shepherds admired the beauty of the nature, even though most of the delicate seedlings had become to wither. At the peak of the mountain an ancient altar was built. Robin couldn't believe they had finally reached it. Just outside of it stood an astonishing woman with a long pear green ponytail and a dark red dress, like Nah. She wore a light pink cape and boots that matched her dress, as well as gloves. She elegantly smiled and greeted earth's last hope.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 12: The Voice of Naga_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) We're back! Finally, the hiatus (the two hellish months) is over and I can devote myself to finishing the story I created a year ago. (Time sure flies fast...) I wanted to create something like an anniversary chapter, but unfortunately and without surprises time, strength were not on our side. I would like to thank everyone for the patience and for sticking with the ride. I can assure you the best are yet to come!

No the Soleil above isn't Fates' Soleil or associated in any way.

Replies to Recent Reviews: TBUpdated

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	38. Chapter 12: The Voice Of Naga (III)

**The Voice of Naga (III)**

* * *

The time had finally come. A journey which seemed endless was finally over. Nonetheless, their true journey had just started. The Shepherds breathed heavily as they gazed the ancient building. It was as the rumors said, the ancient altar on top of the mountain Prism. Outside of the altar stood lady Tiki, smiling brightly. Lucina who led them, stepped forward and knelt in front of the Voice.

"I'm relieved to see that you're alright, milady," she said with respect toward the Voice of Naga. Robin stared amazed at the manakete. He could bet he had seen her before, but as many times he looked into his past he saw nothing there. He had heard a lot of things about her from his friends: Tiki, the legendary manakete and daughter of the one and only Naga whose fangs were used to shape the binding shield and Falchion. Robin was amazed to find out she was over 2000 years old, even being friends with the hero king of legend and yet she looked as young as them. He couldn't but stare at her with awe, thinking about the tremendous power she could hold. Either way, the respect the Shepherds showed towards her was justified.

"Lucina! It's been a while. I'm glad you've returned safe. You look like you've accomplished your mission, " she calmly said.

"Of course, milady. However, the resistance has suffered a lot of casualties, while the Risen army seems to be getting only stronger. We need to find the rest of the stones as soon as possible, otherwise we're just postponing our demise," she responded. She quickly stood up and asked Cynthia to give her the stones and the map. The former Pegasus knight did as she said. Then, the lord handed them to the manakete. She sensed the power of the gemstones, which was similar to hers. A portion of Naga's power was stored inside them. She was content to see things had gone as planned and told the Shepherds to enter the altar. As they were progressing towards the small steps, the manakete immediately noticed something rather absurd.

"Lucina, what happened to your archer?" She asked curious. Before Lucina could response, the mage interrupted: "I'm afraid we suffered a minor casualty, milady. Although, she did not perish, she sided with the enemy."

"I see," Tiki nodded. Robin would then proceed to add: "To be exact, the talisman her mother had given her, resonated with her inner self, thus awakening a demon. This demon now controls her."

Laurent wasn't pleased to hear him. "We don't know that for sure, Robin," he argued. Robin was sure their conversation would lead to nowhere, since it was apparent that Laurent held a grudge on Noire, for striking him nearly to death. "You're correct Laurent. But I'd rather be optimistic about it," he said. Robin hadn't noticed until now. Tiki was staring at him for a while. Robin felt uncomfortable and asked: "...Can I help you, milady? It seems you've been staring at me for quite a while…"

"Oh, I apologize. Do you mind sharing your name with me? You look like a new member of Lucina's group."

Lucina then added: "Yes, indeed he is. _Robin_ would've been dead if it wasn't for Minerva's keen sense of smell. While we were searching a nearby village, we happened to have found him unconscious." Tiki froze. "It can't be," she thought and silently kept staring at him.

"I'm sorry, _Robin._ Am I bothering you?" She asked.

"To be honest, I was more worried if I was bothering you, lady Tiki," he replied politely.

"It's just that you look exceptionally same with a person I used to know."

"Oh! Do I?"

"Yes. A very wise, calm and fair person. However, he possessed incredible inner strength which in he end consumed him."

"I-I see," Robin said, having an odd feeling.

The mage couldn't contain his curiosity and asked for the person's name. Tiki tried to avoid answering by ordering the Shepherds to proceed inside the altar.

Robin couldn't but feel bad for entering such a place with his dirty boots. The floor was clean and clear enough for him to see his face being reflected. "It must be a kind of marble…" He thought as his eyes examined his surroundings. The altar had one floor and multiple pillars, which held a small pyramid on top of them. It glowed a green light. The four big walls that surrounded them had windows for the suns light to enter and illuminate it. The pillars were built close to each other, ending to the inmost part of the altar, the sculpture of a dragon. A brilliant sculpture from the ancient times. It was made from pure white marble. White symbolized purity. The dragon was sculpted looking serene, yet devastatingly powerful. Robin presumed it depicted Naga. The dragon had large sturdy wings, symbolizing protection and safety. Above it, was a large window, which created the illusion that the dragon was the one illuminating the place and not the sun's rays coming from the window.

The manakete then took a wooden case close to the statue. She held it with care and she slowly opened it. It was the legendary binding shield, forged to protect humanity. It wasn't large, yet it had the right size to intercept attacks on the wielder's deltoid and bicep muscles. Shining like gold the legendary shield had five holes, where each respective gemstone should be placed. Much to the Shepherds' amazement the shield on its top hole held a gemstone: It was Argent, the Lightsphere. Along with the shield of seals it shone brightly.

While the gemstones were scattered this shield remained part of the Ylissean treasure. "It must be the one Lucina brought back from her castle… Three down, two to go." Robin thought, believing it wasn't only he who made that thought. After experiencing the tremendous power of the other two gemstones he was eager to learn the lightsphere's effect.

"On it's own it's not powerful. To be honest, I doubt it's different from any other rock. However, it's the only stone that can nullify the effects of the darkstone: Sable," Tiki kindly explained, raising one more question in the process. Robin opened his mouth to speak but Tiki continued: "The darkstone is the most powerful of the five gemstones. Whereas Vert, Azure and Gules can affect the body on their own ways, Sable affects the soul of both the wielder and the target's. It has the power to corrupt the heart of those who bear it. There's even a story of someone's body and soul getting trapped inside it."

The Shepherds felt awe upon hearing her. Such terrific power connected with the dark magic arts. However, the Shepherds' spirit didn't break. Everyone was ready to follow this hard path of nothing but pain, as long as it led to peace.

The manakete went ahead and placed the two gemstones on their original place. The stones locked on the golden shield and the Shepherds had only halfway to go. A sense of relief and accomplishment filled them; while Robin thought of everything they'd been through, again. "Is she thinking the same?" He messed with his head, by having such thoughts. He sighed.

Then, Tiki took the word again. "I have faith in you warriors. What's now left is to recover the remaining gemstones and perform… The Awakening."

Along with the Shepherds, the Voice carefully examined the map and tried to figure the remaining positions of the gemstones. They saw the mark on Ylisstol, meaning Argent, and then she pointed out on the closest mark. Tiki knew exactly the position of the gemstone. "It couldn't be any other way could it?" She thought and read: _"Where the future meets the past." _That was where the next gemstone was. _  
_  
"The next stone is deep within the ruins of the supreme deadlords. This mission will be the most difficult you've all faced thus far," Tiki warned.

The mage listened to the manakete astounded. "Milady, I've heard about this secret place. My mother during her travels listened to an old folklore story about a place of infinite treasures and gold, which was guarded by the spirits of ancient soldiers. Nobody ever found out the place, and whoever tried ended up missing. But the stories are so great, speaking about blessed weapons of infinite power…" Laurent's way of speaking, actions and tone gave away his passion about the legend.

"And how do you, lady Tiki, know about its existence?" Owain asked out of plain curiosity.

"I used to know some of them. They were old friends. Brave warriors who fell in battle battling with the world at stake," she said like she was praising for their past lives. "However, they are neither dead, nor alive."

"How's this even possible?" The young manakete wondered.

"Well, even if we're against such a skilled and dangerous army, we'll need to be extremely cautious. We can't afford to share their fate," the lord added in a serious tone. "This means, I need to direct the others as carefully as possible," Robin thought.

The vibrant swordsman who stood next to Robin started shaking. This caught the tactician's attention. "It's my swordhand… It can feel this will be an exciting battle!" Robin instinctively smiled as he heard his friend enjoying what would seem for someone the quick path to death.

The Shepherds along with Lady Tiki decided to march towards the mysterious ruins the next morning and spend the night at the altar. Again it was the calm before the storm. Everyone was used to that feeling.

* * *

Midnight. The moon glowed dimly along with the shimmering stars, as the ever-expanding dark ocean had filled the sky. Swaying trees, rustling leaves. This signature sound was like music for the tactician's ear. He was tired from their journey, even anxious about tomorrow, but he wanted to enjoy the silence and beauty of nature. He stood up and silently left the altar. "Sleep-walking… If I keep this up, it might become a habit one day," he thought as he proceeded to connect with nature. He decided to just walk around and listen to nature's sounds.

As it was to be expected, a whisper broke the silence. "Robin, is that you?" He turned and saw the glittering scarlet hair of the mercenary.

"Hey Severa! Is something wrong?"

"I-I saw you leaving and… I-I had nothing better to do, since I couldn't sleep," she responded. It was impossible for Robin to see, but Severa blushed when she spoke.

"Me neither," Robin admitted and sighed. "I've nothing good to dream about anyway..."

"Oh…" Severa did. "I thought you'd be afraid of getting hurt again, like in the Valley." Robin smiled. "No no, that was nothing. I don't care what happens to myself, as long as you're safe," the tactician said with a beam. By "you're" he meant the Shepherds, but it didn't matter to her.

_"That's why…" Severa thought._

"… but _others_ care…"

"Huh? What did you say?" Robin quickly asked back, because he couldn't hear her mumble. Severa's face quickly took the color of her hair.

"N-Nothing! I didn't say anything, you idiot!" She replied frustrated. Robin backed down, remembering his last experience. "Alright. You didn't," he responded and sat on the grass. "Don't worry about me. Please go get some sleep; I still need to do some planning concerning our approach on the mission. I'll make sure nobody gets hurt," Robin said and lied on the green terrain.

_"That's why you're different Robin," she thought.  
_  
"It's not that I care or anything, b-but t-take care of yourself!" The mercenary said and wished good night.

Robin, now alone, was left with a silly grin on his face and kept gazing on the sky, until he closed his eyes and let the wind carry his doubts away.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 12: The Voice of Naga_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) Alright! After some painful days of brainstorming I've finally got over my writter's block and can easily write again. Sorry for the small delay. So, in this chapter, I'd like to comment that the gemstone trials, not only test their skills, but also themselves. The next trial will not be a battle against a mere enemy...

As always you can participate on a poll I made for self improvement.

Replies to Recent Reviews:

-TheTrueJustice:- Honestly, I can't thank you enough for your positive feedback. There's no better reward than knowing all of your hard work and sleepless nights of writing, has paid off. It's due to comments like these that I keep moving forward and want to become better and better to meet your expectations. Thanks again, I hope you're enjoying the ride. I can only say the best are coming and of course, I may delay the release a day or two, just because I want to plan and organise the story and not rush things :)

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	39. Chapter 13: Gules

**Gules**

* * *

"Wake up Robin!"

The tactician slowly opened his eyes and began his day with a yawn. The sunlight bathed his skin as he was lying on the grass. He wanted to close his eyes again, but the importance of their day forbade him from doing so. He remembered how big their day was going to be. As he woke up for good, the bright smile of the young manakete wished him good morning.

"Good morning to you as well Nah! What a lovely way to start my day!" Out of all the Shepherds, recently Robin had the most trouble getting up in the morning. Sometimes it was due to a nightmare, but for the most part his body ached, because of a previous excessive training exercise. Mainly it was his back, though it wasn't rare for his neck to ache as well.

"Thank you Robin! I can imagine you worked overtime, as usual?" She gave him another smile, which seemed so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushed through him. As Robin explained, they were approached by the Voice. She elegantly greeted them. The tactician felt, once again, a little awkwardness. The manakete informed him about the last preparations needed and about Lucina wanting to see him. He eagerly left them and went straight to help the lord, just as she had predicted.

"Nah," she said in a serious tone, yet curious. She caught the young manakete's attention and looked her in the eyes. "What do you think of Robin? The look in your eyes, when you talk to him, it feels… I know that look."

"W-What do you mean?" When the manakete saw the pink in her cheeks, she knew something was afoot.

"You're special you know. You have manakete blood in your veins, yet you're not a member of our tribe. Throughout my millennia of life in this world, every manakete has been of pure blood... Until you. You are unique, as the first of our kind to have a human father. The first hybrid manakete."

"I know. In fact, I wanted to talk to you about this matter. I have so many questions myself. But… I'm just avoiding your question, aren't I?" She giggled and smiled in a shy way, not scared, but not relaxed for a genuine smile. "Robin's… Intriguing. He's selfless, like Lucina and would be willing to give up his life to save a fellow friend. He overanalyses things… He's strong, like ridiculous strong. However, on the inside he… He's aching. He doubts himself, his capabilities… It's like his afraid of himself!"

_"It appears I was wrong about him," she thought. _Nah talked about the tactician with such passion, which was reflected in her eyes and the manakete acknowledged that. It was the same as hers a millennia ago. Tiki at first decided against it, but thought it was better for her to know now that later.

"I am afraid you have to learn about the curse of our kind. Yes, as we're gifted with strength, we also have an inevitable fate. As you remember from yesterday's stories, when I was younger I used to live in the era of legends. Such as the hero King's. He was very dear to me, but he was a human and I was a manakete. The gulf between us was too big. However, you have something that I don't." Nah, stared at her, impatient to hear what she was about to say.

"With your mixed blood, you can love anyone you like human, or manakete. However, even as a half manakete, you carry the same burden as I do. With our near immortality we're destined to see the people we cherish most… perish." The young manakete's mind ran wild. A heavy storm of thoughts fell inside her mind and her warm smile soon was washed away. In that instant her skin became greyed and her eyes misty.

"I-I understand." She said in a quick and impatient pace.

* * *

"Are we clear?" The mage's face dead serious. He stood in front of the rest of the Shepherds, talking about the best approach they could take on this mission. They had picked the altar as the place for this important discussion. "Our first and foremost priority is to find Gules. We'll be fighting in an unknown environment. Judging from our previous experiences we must be ready for everything. Nevertheless, this time out opponent will be stronger and better in every way. That said, we must not be separated if they engage us in single combat. We must fight back as a team and use our teamwork to our advantage. However!" Robin enjoyed Laurent's speech, as did the rest. They patiently listened to the mage's words. He was the previous tactician of the group, a title now he shares with Robin.

"Uh-hum… However, in case the enemy is far stronger for us to handle we'd need diversion. A diversion to enable a small team to safely search for the gemstone." The word _diversion_ was a peculiar one. For some of the Shepherds it echoed in their heads as euphemism for _sacrificial pawn_. Laurent looked at Robin and the tactician stood up and took the word as well.

"Even the wildest treasure isn't worth of a friend's sacrifice. We need to be extremely cautious everyone, as previously explained-"

"E-Exactly, Robin. As such, Robin and me have thought of a more advanced technique to help us fight at full power. I like to call it the Pair-Up-"

"That's Laurent for ya…" Brady murmured in a sarcastic tone. Owain and Inigo giggled, much to the mage's frustration. At this point, Robin decided it was best for him to present his idea, which he discussed earlier with Lucina and Laurent. "We should all decide together. Though, according to my opinion, it would be more efficient if a selected few would head straight to the treasure room and not engage in combat by any means. Their sole focus is to find the gemstone. The rest would focus on defeating their enemy. We will save time and once we've found it, they can join the rest of the forces."

"Or we can just combat them altogether and be at full power from the very beginning and not worry about the stone," Severa interrupted. Robin was unsure. The only thing that was certain was the necessity for the gemstone and the menace of the deadlords. The Shepherds continued discussing about their strategy and eventually came to a definite conclusion.

* * *

"Ugh… Why did I have to be paired-up with you? You'll only slow me down," The red head said irritated. The tactician put a weird smile on his face. "After getting beat up by you in training, I think I may know all of your moves… Laurent and the others agreed..." He said and gulped. "Not even close! I have many aces in the hole," she responded in an angry tone. Robin sighed and continued marching towards their next destination. In the end, they went for the simplest technique ever: The best defense is a good offense. They would go all out against them, and when they'll be over and alone they'd begin their search. However, Robin knew he had one more job left to do. After the conclusion of their meeting Robin was approached by Tiki. She asked him to do one more thing.

"Mind your step Robin!" Gerome shouted. "You were about to step on Minerva's tail!" The masked man continued. The wyvern left a fierce growl in the place of her master.

"I'm sorry Gerome, I was lost in thought, again…" Robin apologised. "Hmph! What's his deal?" Severa asked. "He and his stupid mask…" Robin, upon hearing her, giggled. "What with the silly smile on your face?"

"Nothing! It's nothing!" Robin said and the mercenary responded with a groan. Robin knew about Gerome. After experiencing it with Inigo, Owain, Severa he knew. In this world of tragedy, destruction and demise, people would fake their emotions, as did he. As everybody did. Gerome would just go one step further and wear a real mask to hide them, without worrying about his façade getting revealed. He found it funny, since Severa did that as well. It wasn't hard to understand the as everyone else, she carried a burden. Stored deep in her, locked inside her cold heart.

The Shepherds followed the directions of the map to navigate themselves and eventually they reached the mountains. From there they followed a mountain path as Tiki pointed out. The path grew wide where the soil was soft and then narrow in the rocky passes. There were times it was barely there at all, no more than a mild disturbance in the dirt. But in the end it led at a cliff. The view from there was disheartening. A large valley expanded in front of their eyes; a barren land of dead trees.

"It seems we've arrived," Tiki noted. "What do you mean, milady? It's a dead end. We must have made a mist-" The mage tried to respond. "Do you trust me Laurent?" He nodded. "Then jump."

"You mean from here? I'll…"

"Do you trust me Laurent?" Tiki asked again in a serious tone this time. Lucina stepped in and thanked the Voice. "Thank you milady. Your help is invaluable." Before anyone could blink Lucina with bravery and trust towards the Voice of Naga, stepped forward to the cliff's end. She didn't scream, not even made a sound. She just closed her eyes and made the jump. At once, everyone panicked and rushed to she where she might have fallen, only to see nothing but the scenery. "What kind of sorcery is this?" Laurent asked amazed. Astonished about the incident he made the jump as well. The rest witnessed his fall. They saw his body falling and then it disappeared out of thin air. The rest followed.

It was Robin's turn. Trying to be polite he offered his place to Severa, but she hesitated. "Oh, come on Severa-aaah!"

She did it! He was falling. The mercenary had pushed him off the cliff out of frustration. It was a similar experience with the one from the Valley, so he wasn't scared. Also, Tiki's certainty made any doubt he had simply go away. Soon, he found himself getting wrapped to an unknown place and landing awkwardly. Instinctively, he bended his knees and fell on the ground. He saw nothing but darkness. Robin coughed as he tried to stand up and picked his tomes form the ground. The air wasn't as fresh as on top of the cliff. The atmosphere was stale, warm and stuffy. At first it made Robin feel nauseous, so he decided to leave his robe there due to the warm atmosphere. "What's this place?" He wondered. "Is anybody here?" He shouted and immediately the place was illuminated. He couldn't trace the light source. "What in the world?" He thought. The tactician found himself alone. Robin quickly looked around him. The floor was consisted of tiles, which seemed to have been made from sturdy rock. They had a golden colour, much like the walls. Beneath him was a scarlet red carpet, which expanded near the end of the room. Its shade of red reminded him of the mercenary. Its sides were golden.

His eyes followed the end of the carpet, which led to another room. However, his room had two more passages, leaving him with three options. Unable to figure out what to do, he tried to shout for help. "Is anyone here? Anyone?" As a result, he heard multiple comrades responding him from the room's sides. "Phew…" He sighed relieved. At that moment, he also heard a scream. Someone was falling close to him. He would recognise that particular sound from anywhere. "Here we go!" he said with his heart beating fast, as he was about to combat with the unknown.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 13: Gules_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) Alright! It seems whatever could go wrong and make me upload late, happened... :/ Personally, this scene is a joy to write. I felt so motivated writing this chapter and the next battle scene, I can hardly wait to hear what you'll think of them.

As always you can participate on a poll I made for self improvement.

Replies to Recent Reviews:

-TheTrueJustice:- Thank you once again! I'm trying my best to make my chapters feel fresh and interesting! I'm glad you like them!

-ShadowRobin89:- Yeah, the hiatus felt like it was too long. However, it's over. It was painful for me. Exhaustion, stress and all of these "good emotions" can hardly describe what I went through... :/ However, I'm back and I'm trying to be better than ever! It's time for the "tsun" to shine as well ;) I hope you liked it!

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	40. Chapter 13: Gules (II)

**Gules (II)**

* * *

"Robin!" The manakete said with her soft voice. The tactician quickly opened his eyes to witness the bright moon illuminating with its dim light the dark sky. Next to it was lady Tiki. He saw her light green hair and bright smile as she had leant down to see him. The tactician definitely couldn't expect to see her at this hour, especially after her odd behavior earlier. Yet, she was as calm as a cucumber and eager to speak with him, maybe for something important.

"What is it, milady?" He wondered. "I wanted to privately speak with you. I apologize for the inconvenience I'm causing, but there wasn't any other way."

"Milady, with the way your talking, it looks as if it's something of great importance. Did something happen?" Robin was more and more keen to know.

"I wanted to inform you about a unique item we must find on the realm apart from Gules. I can easily say it's the most powerful tome of them all. It's might is closely equal to the Falchion's."

"…The Falchion's!?" Robin was left astonished. He faintly chuckled and was eager to hear more about this mythical tome.

" Yes. Nevertheless, _you_ must wield it. Never forget that. This is the mission I entrust to you and only _you_. Find it and embrace its power. It will help with the combat against the dragon lord. This is as much as I can say."

Robin couldn't but feel honored. "Milady, I promise to make sure I'll find it."

"I know Robin. Don't worry. You're a good person. I can sense the goodness inside you." These words, which came out of the blue, surprised the tactician. He felt a warm aura covering his heart. He needed to hear those words again, especially from someone like Tiki.

"You see, through my countless experiences with the human race, I've somewhat developed some special abilities. Abilities, which have made me, understand how humans feel deep inside… There are some patterns in the human behavior that can't be changed, not even in thousand years. Thus, they're noticeable from individuals like myself."

"Lady Tiki, I'm thankful for your trust. I won't let you down," he said with pride. He felt freed from the self-doubt, even if it was for those mere seconds.

"Oh, and Robin. I need to ask you something else…" She said absolutely calmly, but her question came like a wyvern in heat for the tactician. "What do you see Lucina as?" Soon, he felt the heat growing in his cheeks. Eventually, they reached a bright red color, which was easily visible.

"I-I'm afraid… I can't quite f-follow," Robin replied puzzled, sensing his dry mouth and throat. Tiki turned silent and had a faint smile on her face.

"Just as I imagined. Humans never change, after all. It's in their nature to fall in love, regardless of the situation," she said amazed by the human race. At that time, Robin realized how smart she was. He had no place to hide. "What gave me away?" He replied in a serious tone. Tiki giggled. Her gentle sound softened the atmosphere. It was vibrant and heartwarming. "Everything. Especially the way you look at her."

"I must say, milady, your sharp eye is far beyond any imagination... It's true. I can't deny that I deeply care for her. However, she doesn't feel the same. Besides, our mission is far more important," he confessed his unrequited love for the young lord, feeling under the weather. Each time he made that single thought he felt ill. This was apparent with the way he moved, or spoke. Like his body was heavy.

"Even so, you need to be on top form to fight. The strength to defend always comes from the heart. And the determination to protect the others makes us realize about our hidden capabilities. If you let your emotions take over you, then, I'm afraid, you're destined to fall. _You can't have the past clouding your judgment._ You realize that, do you?"

Robin nodded. "O-Of course. That's why I've decided to focus entirely on training, even though it's been a little rough these days."

"Yes. I've heard about your training. Your training partner is often… Severa, if I recall correctly."

"That is correct. I believe she's the best swordsman, only behind Lucina. If she doesn't lose her composure, her technique can rival Lucina's. However, I also train with Owain and sometimes with Laurent and Kjelle. But, never with Lucina."

"I see. Severa… She's a very interesting individual don't you think?" She asked.

"I do believe she's special. Though, we must have reached the same conclusion, both due to different reasons."

"Haha, that's a possibility. What intrigues me the most about her character is how she acts, especially her way of talking."

"Certainly, she can be very emotional and instinctively say what's on her mind, but that doesn't bother me."

"Don't you believe she acts unkind on purpose? As if she's hiding a different person on the inside? And… And haven't you noticed that her words…" She spoke with a serene tone, which slightly got more and more serious. Robin was silent and listened to her with patience. "…Her words… Haven't you noticed when she speaks _her words often show…_"

* * *

Robin was impatiently looking above him. A loud scream echoed. Robin made a smirk and saw the mercenary falling. At once, the tactician urged to catch her. "With her speed… I believe she'll fall… Here!"

Then, before he could blink, the redhead had already fallen on his arms. She was silent and didn't even make a sound. As they shared a moment, Robin found himself lost in her eyes. He then confirmed a suspicion he had about their color. From distance it was seen that they gave the hue of the fire. A pure dark red color that was as fiery. Though, as he took a closer look he was certain about their true shade, a more hazel one. As if they had the signature hue of the forest's floor during autumn. The sad thing, however, was that he hadn't noticed her cheeks turning the same color as her hair.

"Hmm… Now I see the true co-" He tried to say only to get bashed by her words. "Wha-What do you think you're doing? You pervert! Let me down, y-you t-tactical jerk…"

Robin now speechless did as told. He felt he had "done it" again…

She was glaring at him, angrily until they continued. In the end, he apologized. She responded with an "Hmph!" disregarding his effort. Robin then found the courage to speak again: "I've got the feeling we're scattered in at least three rooms." He pointed on the floor: "Here, and then on our right and left." She was just about to open her mouth to reply, but Robin raised his hand and continued: "Before you ask how, I communicated with the rest. I heard voices from the rooms between us, but not in front of us. The enemy must lie there." Severa understood and nodded. Then, the mercenary unsheathed her precious sword. It was her katana, her Killing Edge. The potential of such a lethal weapon could easily be fully realized in the hands of a skilled swordsman, such as her. She was blessed with natural talent, but she never accepted it. The sword was slightly curved and single-edged. Its tsuka, or handle was wrapped accordingly with silk, which had the same color as her hair. Lastly, its tsuba, the squareish guard at the end of the grip, as well as the kashira, the end cap on the tsuka, were made of gold, probably pure.

The weapon must have been through countless battles, bringing doom to its opponents. It must have been extremely precious for her and the tactician acknowledged that; this particular katana and the lance, the one covered in shells, lying in their hideout. It must have been a present from the past. Each one of them was carrying the burdens of the past, through any form: Lucina in her blood, Brady in his instrument, Inigo in his dances, Owain in his manners, Gerome in his mask and Severa? That question bugged his head the most.

Soon, Lucina reunited with Robin and Severa. Next to the lord was her beloved sister and the Naga's Voice. Cynthia was her pair. Robin gazed at her, only to hear Tiki's words echoing in his mind. He took a deep breath and asked them if the rest were set and ready to go.

"That is correct, Robin. In this room there is the Voice, you, Severa, Cynthia and me. On the right room there's Owain, Inigo, Nah and Yarne and lastly on the left room there's Kjelle, Gerome, Brady and Laurent. As you might've figured out by now each room leads to a new room from the front. I believe we're all ready," the young lord told the tactician. He quickly made the calculations in his head and nodded. "Let's see if spiting is a good idea. If we encounter any problem we'll return here, understood?" Lucina agreed and informed the other with a large shout.

"Alright, let's stick to the plan, now," the tactician said.

"You mean the "attack with everything we got"? What else can we do, you moron?" The redhead replied in her usual manner. Robin sighed and prepared his Fire Tome for action. Severa held her blade firmly, with extreme concentration as if she was in the zone. Lucina held her Falchion even, perfectly still, just as her father had taught her. Cynthia was ready too. Suddenly, the lord shouted with determination: "Shepherds!..."

The time had come. All the pieces were set. The battle for the fourth gemstone had just started.

"FIGHT!" She screamed and immediately they began marching towards the unknown. They were running fast, like animals hunting their prey. They got past the golden tiles and eventually, entered the next room. Much to the lord's surprise it didn't connect with the other two. There was only one exit, just opposite to them. It was the same as the previous one, with the only difference being a large green square carpet covering most of the room. It gave the impression of a small arena.

As expected, in the middle of the room stood only one man. The intriguing part was that his skin was deep plain black. He wore no armor and just held his sword. His mouth and nose weren't visible, only his two eyes. They eyes weren't red, like the Risen's, but reminded of Lucina's, as well as the dark blue color of his medium-long hair. The man, at first brought fear in Robin's heart, due to his bizarre appearance but he got hold of himself. The man, resembling more of a shadow, pointed his blade to Lucina.

"It can't be!?" She said staring at him with awe. The warriors' had their eyes locked to his sword. "Oh, no…" Lucina said in terror. Robin acknowledged her fear. It was the first time he had seen her showing it this clearly. "He's holding the Falchion!" The lord completed her sentence. However, what caught her eye the most was a mark on his right shoulder. Robin gulped nervously. "What the heck is going on?" He thought. The shadow approached them, slowly and daunting.

"Visitors from another world… Do you seek our treasure? Is that why you've come?" He said with a deep and intimidating voice. The lord flinched upon hearing him. "W-Who are you?" Her voice trembled. Robin thought this could cause problems. It wasn't just him who made the same thought.

"I'm the leader of the Deadlords. I have no name. We're the bodies of fallen warriors given purpose. We were made to guard the treasures within these ruins."

"Fallen warriors, just like Tiki said…" Before Robin could finish his train of thought, two more shadows emerged from the ground. Both of them held two long lances. They swung them elegantly and entered their battle pose. "Luck's on our side, we're outnumbering them…" He thought again.

"In our final hours, we fought and paid the ultimate price. These forms are the testament to our sacrifice… If power, wisdom and luck are your allies you better summon them NOW!" The shadow said and ran against the lord. She had lost her composure and the tactician stepped in: "We're all right here with you." The lord felt relieved and was filled with determination. Her eyes were now sparkling. She rushed to combat the enemy with the same sword as her. Robin proceeded to fight alongside Severa. "Just as we practiced okay?"

"Just make sure to take care of yourself," the mercenary replied and swung her blade, entering her battle posture. Robin smiled and shouted: "Elfire!" creating a fireball and throwing it to the enemy. The lancer evaded the hit with ease. She handled her weapon flawlessly earning the respect of her opponents. The shadow was a woman this time. She had long hair even reaching her waist. As she tried to attack the mercenary she stopped. Something shone in her eyes, and the shine run down her cheek. It was a tear.

"What the heck is going on?" Robin thought. Severa though wasn't moved. "Why are you staring at me like this? Huh, you're... crying?" She said surprised. "Hmph! I won't be deceived! You won't move me to tears. Hiyaa!" She moved her blade only to be blocked with ease by the lancer. She would then avoid another one of Robin's fireballs. "Damn it! I've never faced an opponent like her. All of her moves so far, her positioning, her stance… Everything's perfect!" He said and prepared himself for the worst.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 13: Gules_

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**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) Alright! 40! Chapter's already... Wow... Time sure flies... It seems whatever could go wrong and make me upload late, happened again... :/ Personally, I'll try my best for a quicker release. However, this chapter was easy to write... A feeling last felt long ago... We just dove into the battle scene, which has a long way before its finished. I hope you liked it! The next chapter will be one of my favourites!

As always you can participate on a poll I made for self improvement.

Replies to Recent Reviews:

-TheTrueJustice:- Many thanks for your positive feedback (again)! I'm certainly trying my best. I can safely say the next chapter's going to be big...

-ShadowRobin89:- I'm glad to know that! I'm trying hard to improve myself and become better and better. Yes, if you've spotted the pattern, I've began to focus on each of the Shepherds. Now's the time for out "tsun" to shine. And I'll do her justice trust me. ;)

-Guest:- Hey! Long time no see! It's good to know you're alright. I'm happy to know you've still got ideas and you're enjoying the story. No need to feel sorry. I believe I must apologise for the 1chapter/1week. I'm trying to upload more frequently, but it's not always possible. Yes, I've finally played Fates, after forbidding myself to play, because of work. I did enjoy the gameplay and some characters, but the story (I've only played Birthright) had many flaws from which I can't turn a blind eye from. 'Happy to hear you're one of the very few to get hold of this gem! Good work! ;)

-Iron Mario:- Thank you for your concern. Things are definitely easier, but a little busy. Rest assured, the story contiues past Robin's interogation. I'm glad to hear things are getting interesting. I'm trying hard to maintain the reader's interest. I hope you're enjoying the ride! :)

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	41. Chapter 13: Gules (III)

**Gules (III)**

* * *

"What in the world? I hate to admit but… She's _perfect_," Robin thought. And he was right. As he stood his heart was racing, going faster and faster with each second passing. He felt sheen of sweat covering his back and his skin now like polished stone. Little by little, a droplet of cold sweat splashed on the green carpet. He breathed in a heavy pace, knowing the difficult situation he was put to. He needed to focus every single bit of himself into his fight. He couldn't be distracted by how Lucina, Cynthia and Tiki were doing. He couldn't but put his faith on them. However, that seemed impossible. After seeing the lord trembling against her opponent, Robin knew his previous words weren't enough. He knew something was amiss.

Severa knew this fight would make her reach her limits, as well. Undeniably, she was more collected than Robin. She looked at the tactician and noticed he wasn't calm. "Come on, you tactical freak! You were supposed to help me out here!" The redhead yelled, making the tactician smile.

"Yes, she's expecting more of me. Everyone does. After all, it was I who made that promise…" Robin mind looked back at the past. The tactician reached his favorite tome. "Alright! Time to-" _Pain_. He felt it all the way, once again. Robin was a prisoner, helpless inside his own cell of pain. He stood quiet and still with his eyes were open wide, without seeing anything but colorful flashes which faded away and gave their place to darkness. The feeling of nausea overwhelmed him, to the point he wanted to vomit. It was the same pain he used to feel. The crushing pain that came and went in a pattern. And what lied ahead was an empty sea of darkness. At that lone moment, his past dreams flashed all at once.

_"She was your first victim…" _That fierce phrase echoed inside his mind, over and over again.

The pain throbbed so violently that Robin knew his skull would soon crack. What cracked though, was nothing but his soul. The self-doubt of being the reason for the loss of his comrade: the redhead mercenary, daughter of the Pegasus knight Cordelia, who dreamed of exploring the world. He realized this was the only thing he knew about her. The rest were trivial. He knew nothing about motive, nothing about past, yet often at night she monopolized his dreams and his fear turned them into nightmares. He often would ask himself why, without of course getting an answer. And now, without becoming aware, he was the most responsible for her fate. It was the time to see if his nightmare would eventually come true.

The tactician returned to his senses. He found himself lying on the ground. He quickly checked if he was hurt, though the sound of the steel clashing with each other took his attention. The redhead was sparring with her sword putting all of her effort in each of her hits. She protected him and he acknowledged that. He got up quickly and decided it was time to go all out. The tactician left any unnecessary thought aside, having faith in his comrades. The mercenary was pushed by the lancer and reached Robin. For this instant both of the women took a breather. Robin who stood next to her looked at her with determination. The sweat on his snow-white hair was gone and surprisingly he felt fresh and eager to join her.

"Sorry for holding you back. I don't know what hit me…"

"Heh… You never change," she replied in a rather calm tone and winked. "Right now Robin, I wouldn't like anyone else standing beside me. Show me out training wasn't for nothing," the mercenary added and gave him a warm smile. The tactician blushed and firmly held his favorite tome and blade. He nodded and faced their opponent.

The lancer stood calm, collected, looking like she hadn't broke a sweat. The shadow figure wasn't taller that Severa, in fact they shared the same height and physique. The intriguing part was her eyes. They had a fiery carmine color, which reminded Robin of her hair. Moreover, like the shadow man before her, she didn't look like she wore armor either. However, not even Severa could land a hit on her. Her monster defense seemed impregnable. She had earned both of their respect as a fighter and master of the lance.

"It's time to tip those scales!" The tactician yelled and opened his tome. "Elthunder!" He screamed and magical red circles surrounded him. Then, a ball made of pure electricity menacingly headed towards the lancer. As it moved against her, it gave off sparks that created a signature sound. However, the electric ball wasn't the only thing that was approaching her.

The lancer saw the thunder-ball and knew she couldn't face it straight on. She evaded the hit with a quick move and then used the down side of her lance to block the first hit of the mercenary. Severa locked her blade with her lance and wanted to stabilize her. Robin followed from behind and attacked with his sword. The lancer instinctively pushed Severa with her lance, breaking her lock and swung her blade to block Robin's attack. When their weapons met, she slid her lance on his sword just enough to create an opening for a response. The lancer jumped and delivered a kick on Robin's stomach forcing him to make a step back. The mercenary went for a back attack only to get blocked again.

"Argh…" Robin did and rushed for another attack observing closely her movement. The lancer targeted his feet with her lance and went for a sweet slice, but Robin jumped and evaded the hit. He blocked her next attack. Severa went for another follow-up attack, but the lancer saw her coming. She broke the lock with Robin and jumped with enough power to perform a backflip, resetting their battle. She looked tireless, in contrast to the other two.

"She's good. She doesn't leave a single opening for a counterattack… This strategy is similar to mo-" The mercenary forced herself to stop talking. She forbid herself from continuing this thought. Robin took a closer look on her spear. It definitely looked familiar. "I've seen this from somewhere…"

The lancer moved against the tactician leaving him with the only option of defending with his sword and not with magic. Everything was happening in mere second, but for him they seemed like long hours. From his perspective the lancer was moving against him holding her spear on her twelve. "She's going for a brash attack," Robin thought. "If I can evade her hit I can get closer for a clean hit… I must!" As the lancer approached she moved her spear forward with force. The tactician anticipated the hit and smoothly moved right to dodge it. He failed miserably. As he turned his waist at ninety degrees, the lance sliced his side, just above his pelvis. "Aargh!" He screamed from pain, as the cut was getting bigger. "I fell right in her trap. She was two steps ahead by making me think I could predict her move… But I'll take that trade!" Robin thought and indeed approached her as originally planned. "Hi-Yah!" He shouted as he swung his left hand with force with the intention of lethally slicing her pitch-black neck. Much to his surprise he saw the mercenary doing the same from the behind.

The lancer had predicted even that. At once, she lowered her chest to the point her back was facing the floor, dodging the mortal hits in the process. When she stood up she swung her lance hitting Robin's head with its base. She then used its tip for another bash attack against Severa. Robin found himself on the ground, bleeding from his waist. His sword was lying next to him. "Damn, this is harder than I thought…" His skull ached as well and as he was getting up his outline was catching fire. His eyes turned into a plain red and the fire clocked him. "Here's how it's done!" He shouted with rage as his hand pointed at her. "I can't afford to lose! Not now, not never! Now: Thoron!" He screamed unleashing his fury.  
His attack had tremendous power. He was always looking at his target with intense focus. From distance it looked as if he was an archer and had just released his arrow with force. The arrow was a powerful lighting that created sparks and slashed the air. A loud "Boom" followed after the hit struck her.

The lancer was carried away by the attack with enough force to create a hole in the wall. The tactician knelt as a result of the knockback. He hadn't lost his senses but could see he had lost blood. Severa rushed to aid him. She suffered from collateral damage, but they were limited to scratches.

"You went berserk again? That's a heck of a strategy," she said sarcastically. Both were breathing at a rapid pace. Robin replied with a smile and slowly got up. She instantly saw his injury. She wasn't able to comment on it because the lancer approached them again. "It can't be…" Robin murmured with awe. She looked unharmed and determined to put an end to them. "Not even Thoron?"

"You idiot! Couldn't you finish her off? I knew I would do the work again… You should try to hit her from distance and I'll try from close," she replied in her usual tone and prepared her katana. With her remaining strength she rushed at her enemy. Robin tried to follow her but his waist had left him paralyzed. He then proceeded to make small steps getting closer. He felt the red droplets reaching his legs and decided to try and burn his wound. He got his Fire Tome and with caution he used it to burn the cut. He screamed in the process, but when he was done he was ready to help again. Robin observed the fight of the two women. As he walked he heard a cracking sound, as if he smashed something with his boots. He quickly looked down and saw a shell torn in pieces. "What the-" He thought and stared at the two soldiers.

Their clash was beyond his wildest dreams. His comrade was moving faster that his eye and in a second she had blocked two hits. Her movements looked more of a dance rather than a fight to death. He was amazed by the movement of her sword, how it moved in circular motions and how her body was in perfect sync with it. She was in the zone. However, the same applied to her opponent. She used jump attacks, spin attacks, bash attacks and every trick in the book and still it wasn't enough. As if Severa expected every single hit of hers. She succeeded in something Robin had failed to do, to enter the lancer's mind. But how? This was his main thought. As he got closer he couldn't believe his eyes.

The mercenary's face was shinning from the cold sweat, though, her eyes shone like crystals. The tear flowed like a river Next to her, the lancer's eyes gleamed as well. They were moved to tears. The answer struck Robin's head. The Falchion, the shell-lance, the lancer's movement and strategy, Severa's perfect prediction of every single move… And then Robin saw it. He definitely did… He saw the joy of a mother seeing her children coming of age and being able to surpass her… He saw the joy of an orphan reuniting with her mother, thought to have perished long ago… And he saw little by little, Severa losing her will to fight and hold back.

The mercenary was fighting at a very fast pace, as a result of intense training with a specific partner for a long time. Robin realized the meaning of this next trial. The real enemies were their past. This was a fight against their past, the only thing that held them back and didn't let them move forward. It was against their inner true self. In the Azure trial they got a glimpse of their worst fears and right now they faced the very root of them. This trial meant to break the chains of their past by fighting against their beloved parents. He looked around to see his other three comrades giving everything they got, only to be at defense and not pose a threat to their opponent. This time he felt empty. He despised himself for standing useless in a fight that in the end wasn't his. However, although he knew each of his comrades had to win their own fight, he understood he would do anything to support them.

"Elfire!" He shouted determined to break the lancer's attack stance. It was difficult to aim, especially against such opponent. The fireball exploded on the floor causing more harm than good. "Damn it! I-I can't do this… I can't aim…" Robin said and picked up his sword. His heart was beating like a drum, in a fast pace and nervously. As the tactician approached them he heard Severa's words.

"M-Mother?" The mercenary said with droplets of tears falling on the ground. Her misty eyes had lowered her vision and she could only defend. However, she did it on purpose. "I-Is th-that you?" She faintly asked begging for an answer as she blocked another fast attack from the lancer. Her block was weak as a result of losing her will to fight and holding back and the lancer took advantage of her weakness. The woman instantly kicked her on her belly with force and swung her spear in a circular motion, while having it parallel to the ground. Severa couldn't dodge and was sliced in her abdomen. The hit was agonizing and made her scream as a result. "She can't do it!" Robin thought. The mercenary had fallen on the ground and her katana was thrown away from her. Close to her the lancer was preparing for the last blow.

"Nooo! Severaaa!" Robin shouted until his lungs couldn't keep up and ran even faster than Yarne in his beast form. For him the flow time had stopped moving. Each step he made looked like a mile long. Each move he made looked like it took an hour. His heart raced faster than he could remember and the cold as ice sweat flowed from his forehead to reach the ground. He felt his legs shaking from the nervousness and his belly empty.

The lancer raised her spear and swung it in circles, so fast it took half a second for each circle. In a blink of an eye she held her lance vertically to the ground, ready to forcefully strike it into her heart. Severa was semi-conscious and couldn't figure out what was happening from the dizziness. She felt her mouth getting filled by blood, which made her spit it on the ground immediately. With her eyes now clear she saw the shadow ready to deliver her final blow. Next to her was her precious friend running crazy to save her. She was mortified. She couldn't feel her legs, or her hands from the shock. It was exactly the same as that fateful day. However, this time in front of her wasn't a heartless Risen, but…

"M-Mother?" She said for one last time as another tear splashed on the carpet. It was also clear that blood exuded from her mouth and wound leaving stains on her shirt. She closed her eyes as she saw the lance moving towards her. "Nooo!" That loud shout echoed in her ears. As Robin was approaching her, countless of nightmares were flashing one by one. In each one of them, the ending was the same: Severa had died by his hands. His self-doubt, fear for his past had led him to do the opposite of what he truly wanted. Why Severa? He used to think. As he was running he may have found the answer. "If fate needs someone to be killed, then that should only be me!" He kept thinking. "I'll challenge my… destiny!" He screamed, closed his eyes and jumped with his sword to stop the lancer's plans.

"Gah!" He screamed for the last time. With his remaining power he opened his eyes and saw what had happened. He giggled. "She predicted even that, huh?" He thought as he stared at the lance being stabbed through his chest. He felt the hot metal and the blood soon flowed like a river. "She's indeed perfect…" Robin said with guilt. All of his efforts were wasted. Unable to move his legs, or even stand he knelt ready to fall on the ground. The lancer removed her spear causing him to collapse. "I'm s-sorry every…one… S-Severa… L-Lucina…" he tried to murmur with every single bit of his last strength.

When someone dies it is said that life flashes before their eyes. Severa was unsure if it flashed before Robin's. 

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 13: Gules_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! :) Alright! The chapter's ready. I have a feeling it's the second longest one I've made so far... Heh, I hope you enjoyed reading it!

As always you can participate on a poll I made for self improvement.

Replies to Recent Reviews:

-TheTrueJustice:- Thanks for the feedback! I tried hard to deliver it earlier than usual! :) I hope I delivered.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	42. Chapter 14: Hurricane Severa

**A/N: **After coming through a series of unexpected problems, I was refrained from doing one of the things I love most; writing. Now, I'm finally back. Thanks for understanding.

* * *

**Hurricane Severa**

* * *

_"Robin! Haven't you noticed something about how she expresses herself?" Tiki asked in her mysterious tone. With every word she said she intrigued the tactician more and more. "Although, her words on the outside might be unfriendly or rude, on the inside, haven't you noticed that they truly show…"_

* * *

"Ugh…" The mercenary coughed deep dark red blood, as it dribbled slowly from her mouth. More of it exuded from her wound as if was no end to her bleeding. However, deep inside her, what ached most was the core of her heart. With each day passing she put more walls around her hidden inner self, without wanting anyone to enter. And now those walls were starting to crack.

Her eyes were misty enough to give her a blurry vision. Nonetheless, she recognized Robin's body falling on the ground. The mercenary felt her body as heavy as Minerva's. She tried to scream, but no sound could come out of her. Thus, she did what she hated to do; she gave up. Severa didn't believe in miracles. She knew this was her end. She remembered one of her dear comrade's lines: "Checkmate." Her brains had processed it way before. This was the only possible outcome; they had them in checkmate since the very beginning. However, she wasn't scared. Surprisingly enough, she felt relieved that her suffering was about to end.

"I g-guess this serves me right, m-mother… I can finally be f-free from my s-sin," the mercenary thought as she saw the figure who resembled her mother ready to deliver the final blow. Her last tear splashed on the ground. "Mother, p-please…"

* * *

"Oh my! Look at how lovely you are Severa! You're gorgeous!" The woman said in joy. Before her eyes there was the single most beautiful sight, her young and cheerful daughter. The young girl beamed after hearing her mother's positive comments. Her vermilion red twintails tumbled over her shoulders. She felt confident and ready for their visit.

"I'm very positive that Sumia will be very excited!" Cordelia said in an assertive tone. "We don't always get the chance to be with them. It feels like ages since the last time," the redhead said unable to hide her excitement. With a somewhat magical way this positive aura reached her daughter and the young girl felt the same eagerness.

And so, mother and daughter left their sweet dwelling to reach the Exalt's castle. Cordelia and her husband decided it was best suited for them to built their home close to it, since of their high ranks in the Ylissean army. Nonetheless, it wasn't long before that peace had been established. The painful, bloody and stressful excursion in Valm had left a scar in everyone.

Their transport was none other than Cordelia's trusty mount. The snow white Pegasus was her most important ally in the battlefield. The young girl would always feel awe at first, since she couldn't get used to the immediate change in altitude. During her first experience with the Pegasus, as soon as her ears started to ache she cried. However, the more she tried the more the pain got softer, but not completely. Without any surprise her mother taught her many things about how to properly command the animal.

Cordelia was the first to get on the mount and helped the young girl do the same. Severa was proud of her mother. She loved every part of her except one.

Soon, the Pegasus began to run and they took off to reach their destination. It was one of those times where Severa just gazed at her mother's abilities with a weird grin on her face. Cordelia's commanded the Pegasus with her arm and leg movements. She moved with such a grace that amazed her daughter. Before the young girl could know it they hadn't only arrived at the castle, but also the very king of Ylisse stood right in front of her, the very person who had charmed her mother's heart. The young girl knew nothing about love. However, it was apparent for her to understand that whenever her mother heard of him, she acted weirdly.

The juvenile lady had heard of many kings and their luxurious life from the books she would read. However, not even in her wildest dreams she would have guessed that right in front of her eyes the person she inwardly despised the most would be such a simple man. He didn't wear any crown made from the purest and shiniest gold, filled with the rarest and most precious gems. Instead, she saw a simple man wearing not casual, but not formal clothes either standing with his wife and two daughters. The queen's elegant flamingo pink dress amazed the little girl. It was simple; yet stylish. She was sharp enough to understand that she wasn't from a noble bloodline and that even at her position, being a person who can have anything; she chose to live without luxury accessories. Queen of Ylisse, Sumia had earned her respect.

One of the girls was hiding behind their mother, using her as a shield between them and the stranger. The other one was next to her father trying to combat her shyness. Nonetheless, Severa's eyes were locked on her father. He emitted such a powerful aura that Severa's heart started beating fast. He had a solemn look that made her feel as his eyes were piercing her body. On the other, he mother couldn't feel more comfortable. Instantly, the former Pegasus knight eagerly greeted her comrades and above all true friends. For once more, Severa could notice that although with Sumia her mother seemed like her usual self, with Chrom she acted like a young shy child.

This was Chrom. Even by his presence she acknowledged he was truly a dependable person and a true leader.

* * *

Severa soon found herself in the room of the two girls having no other option but to speak. By the time her first words came out of her mouth, the elder daughter had already spoken. Her soft voice gave away her combat with her inner shyness, but she had just got over it. From her posture and look in her eyes she resembled her father deeply. Severa felt like she was enchanted and wanted to befriend her.

"Please, allow me to properly introduce myself. My name is Lucina. I'm the first daughter of Ylisse's Exalt Chrom and princess of Ylisse. I'm honored to meet the daughter of our Pegasus Knight Squadron general. I'm sure you must be as capable as her," she said fluently without any trace of shyness or awkwardness. Her word choice felt excellent, as if they came after a great deal of thought.

"Y-Yes, I'm Severa. I don't think such formalities suit me…" She replied.  
"Come on Lucina! You scared her off! 'Talking like father in the Great Council," her sister scolded her in a little manner.

"Then what was I supposed to do, Cynthia? I'm not keen with introductions you know…" The way Lucina's sister behaved gave away a faint sign of an inner fake confidence. She acted as if she needed to prove herself that she was indeed confident.

"I'm Cynthia!" She greeted the young lady with a warm smile full of joy. "Nice to meet you!" She continued.

"I'm very pleased to meet you as well," she replied, now confident. "Alright! Now what would you like to do?" Lucina asked her impatiently. "We don't have visitors very often so today's a very special day!"

"Lucinaa! We have our cousin, remember?" She said annoyed. She faced Severa. "We have a cousin and his name is Owain. He's in the same age as Lucina's and he's a very good with the sword! He's like… c-r-a-z-y fast. He can strike you in a blink of an eye, but… his-"

"Y-You're exaggerating a little Cynthia. Owain isn't a super human. He isn't even close as good compared to father…"

The girls continued chatting and enjoyed their time together to the fullest. As they were speaking they hadn't taken notice of their window. It had been left open. A soft breeze cooled them, but it was also a gate for bugs to enter the castle. At one moment, a huge black bug flew inside. Cynthia noticed it at once and gave a loud scream out of terror. The two girls followed. In that moment of panic they heard footsteps outside of their door. Someone was coming at a high pace. The person burst into the room. It was none other than little Owain. The girls were certain that he must have broken the door when he flew into the room. The young boy lacking his signature vibrant character entered with a serious look on his face.

In reality it only lasted a mere seconds, but with the way his brain processed the scene that expanded before his eyes made it like it lasted an hour. He quickly checked their surroundings for the enemy, who was nowhere to be found. He saw the bug and realized it… was just a bug! Then, his eyes fell on the redhead. He froze.

"I-I'm Owain!" He said in a brave tone. "I-I've come to rescue you! Ugh!" He wasn't thinking. He wanted to impress the new girl badly enough to go completely out of character. "M-Y swordhand! It's twitching! It thirsts for the monsters blood! Let's go my Mystletainn!" He said and showed his little wooden sword with pride. By the time he ended his small act he heard a sound that was music to his ears. He heard the redhead laughing. When she laughed he thought the noise was coming from her mouth, but that sweet sound wasn't. The laugh was in her expression, in the way they had changed from fear into that vision of relaxed joy. In the end everybody laughed.

"Owain, you silly… Why do you act so high and mighty? This isn't you…" Cynthia asked with tears of laughter in her eyes.

"Ehm…" Owain found it hard to answer. No words could come out of his mouth as if someone had forbid him from talking. Suddenly, Sumia and Cordelia with a series of servants rushed into the room. "Is everything alright?" They asked. "Uh-hum, everything is under control!" The redhead replied happily and smiled. Her smile shined like the stars on the night's sky, it was like the sun itself shed light on them, calming them in the process. All of their fears where whisked away. The young boy was left astonished. He was gazing her enchanted listening to his heart beating at such pace for the very first time.

Their group consisted of four members. Lucina was the self-acclaimed leader of the new Shepherds.

"We're the _New_ Shepherds! Let's go to save Ylisse!" She said wielding her wooden sword and the three followed her lead. The team cheered in response. Then, Lucina ran thrilled, mimicking her father, in the castle's huge garden, believing her duty was to explore it all. She felt she ought to discover every little secret that was hidden in each and every corner of the never-ending garden. Owain continued with his fake heroic lines causing the girls to giggle.

"Shepherds! Fight!" Lucina gave the signal for her comrades to fight the enormous beasts. The insects flew at a high pace evading the hits of their mighty wooden blades.

"The enemy is stronger than we thought! We must find another way!" Severa said troubled. However, they continued swinging them randomly hoping they would hit any by chance. Then all of the sudden, a very weak gale caused the bugs to flee.

"Yeah, you better run!" Owain said with pride. "We did it!" He said joyful. Though, his comrades were mortified. "What is it?" He asked curious. At that moment Cynthia pointed behind him. The young boy turned around to see something he would later end up forgetting, as they all did.

This day marked her first meeting with the people she depended her life on. In the end though, what she remembers today was how great she spent that day and not the events. It was indeed her friends that made her want to be that cheerful and kind person she was.

The Shepherds caught a glimpse of a man wearing a hood. The man was wearing a black robe and he walked towards them.

"W-Who is he? I've never seen him before…" Cynthia said scared. Lucina gulped as they saw him approaching.

"Look at what he's holding!" Severa said shocked. "It's a green tome! He's a sorcerer!" She said in awe. Lucina stepped in front pointing her wooden sword. Then, her face lit. "Guys! This is father's tactician! He's not an enemy," she said relieved. The person took of his hood revealing his long white hair and his short white beard. He stroke Lucina's dark marine blue hair smiling. His expression revealed his exhaustion. The man was tired after working for tons of hours. "Who said if you can't beat them individually you can't beat them all at once?" The man asked and saw the young princess.

"You've grown a lot 'lil Lucy! The same applies to all of you," he said in a way that assured them he meant no harm. "So, you're the ones being noisy, huh?" He continued in a comic tone. The children giggled softening the atmosphere with their gentle sound. "Lucina… Who is this person?" Severa asked curious.

"He's father's closest friend and tactician of the army. His name is sir Robin!"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 14: Hurricane Severa_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! This chapter was the lighter one. The antithesis will be clearer in the next one, due to the difference in the atmosphere. So, Severa one of my favourite characters. Here we see how she built trust and met her comrades. In the next chapter we learn about her nickname. The next chapter will be uploaded VERY SOON! Thank you for your patience :)

As always you can participate on a poll I made for self improvement.

Replies to Recent Reviews:

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	43. Chapter 14: Hurricane Severa (II)

**Hurricane Severa (II)**

* * *

"Whoa!" Owain said bug-eyed. In front of him was the army's second most important person. His words, his actions everyone depended on his lips. His commands were absolute. Robin held such a stressful and demanding position. However, for little Owain, he was like a legend.

"Hey, why are you all looking me like that? I'm just a normal person, or does my beard make me seem like some sage?" he humorously asked in a humble manner. "You know, every single one of you can become anything they dream of. You see, we and only we hold the power to shape our future. It's our actions that make our fate. Always remember that," the Ylisse's army tactician continued. The new Shepherds listened to him as if he was a man of great wisdom. Their eyes were locked on him, impatient to hear something useful again.

"Yes! That's exactly what father says, sir Robin!" Lucina said with pride. "Hmm, you're lil Lucy, then this makes you Cynthia, Owain and whoa! You must be Cordelia's daughter. I'd recognize this scarlet hair from miles. I'm dead sure you're as good with the lance, right?" He asked with excitement.

"I don't know. Sometimes it seems I'm never catching up with her…" she said, lowering her head.

"Nah, don't worry. You're still very young. And what's that sword you're holding, soldier?" The tactician asked after noticing that Owain had a differently crafted wooden sword than the others. "This…" It was difficult for words to come out. "It's my Missiletain. It's a relic of my father," the young boy replied saddened. The tactician realized he had made a mistake and tried to comfort him. "You know, you greatly remind me of him. There was one time where we…" Stories from the past were indeed effective. However, Owain still felt this emptiness inside him. A lust for him to be there, but he had to be strong. Time had past and he must accept the reality. But he couldn't. How could he? He cracked after hearing Robin's story. Tear after tear he couldn't hide his grief. His wound was still open.

"Damn it! I struck a chord…" Unable to respond with ingenuity the tactician passively saw the redhead coming closer to the young man and swept his tear with her soft hand. The young boy with his misty eyes saw the image of Severa. She was crying as well. "I know," she replied with a saddened tone. Then, her eyes began to turn wet. Robin was left gazing on the young girl. He acknowledged that she had the face of someone who had suffered and didn't know if she could do it again. Along with Owain their masks of coping began to fall. "They were two great men," he said and decided to do something to avert their attention. He decided to use some of his magic to amaze the children. He got a fire tome out and played with fire. He used it as his own puppet and it obeyed every single command of his. He made it dance, explode and in the end he made a small Chinese fire dragon out of it. "It's not exactly a dragon, but use your imagination!" The tactician noted and the dragon flew in between the two children. Their eyes followed the path the dragon made and applauded his performance.

Robin stroke the young girls hair and couldn't but yawn. His eyes had turned red and his body heavy. The tactician felt his eyes aching and blinked quickly. When he ended and their tears had run dry he apologized. "I'm sorry little warrior. It was rude of me to bring that subject up. However, do remember that the future awaits you to conquer it. I wish I could spend more time with you, but my body won't let me. I guess after two days, it's time to sleep." The tactician said saddened. They both said farewells and he left. The new Shepherds saw the amazing man's back as he walked away, without knowing it was the last time they would see him.

"Isn't he amazing? He's working so hard drafting all of these battle plans, even though we're at peace now," the young princess remarked.

"We're lucky to have him!" Severa added. "Now where were we?" Cynthia said and the new Shepherds continued their excursion. When the noon came, it was time for the redhead to leave. The young girl thanked her new friends for the great day and promised to come again. Along with her mother they returned to their home. When they reached it the young girl began sobbing upon remembering her father's memory. The fierce and tremendous warrior couldn't but follow her example.

"I m-miss him," the young girl said with nostalgia. Her mother nodded. In an attempt to forget their mourn, Cordelia decided to decorate a lance for her precious daughter. Together they spent their night forging a weapon. In reality it was more of a symbol, much like Owain's sword. The young girl exhausted from her activities with her friends, quickly had fallen fast asleep.

The moment the sun rose, the redhead had slightly opened her eyes and found herself lying on her bed. Unable to hold her excitement she went straight to see what progress they had made with the lance. What she eventually found was saw the beautiful crafted blue lance having the perfectly selected shells on it. It gave the feeling as if it was Poseidon's lance, coming from the depths of the wild sea. Each shell was carefully placed on the lance, without ruining its battle capabilities. The young girl examined the weapon with great caution and all she could feel was amazement. Next to it was her beloved mother sleeping on the table. She could understand that she had stayed awake in order to finish it. Close to the lance there was a written message: "_This is the least I can do for you. I hope you like it_." The girl with tears of joy hugged her sleeping mother and couldn't thank her enough. She gave her a kiss in the cheek and went to sleep again, because it was early and could steal some more hours of sleep.

Later, when Severa felt completely rejuvenated, she woke up and saw that it was indeed morning. Her first priority of the day was to find her mother. However, there was no trace of her. The girl then looked on her room, without luck. "Where could she be?" She wondered. In the end, Severa learned her mother's position. She was training at their garden. She was training intensively, something uncharacteristic. Cordelia was wearing her battle armor. She was moving her lance and proceeded to make forward attacks one after another. Each of her attacks was perfect to deliver their cause, the cause to kill. Nonetheless, Severa feared that look in her eyes. Those were the eyes of a person who was ready for battle. Those where the eyes of a fighting spirit, which was ready to kill. It was a bad omen.

The young girl felt she had to step in. "M-Mother?" She said in a reluctant tone. Upon hearing the sound of an intruder, Cordelia immediately paused. She turned quickly and without surprise she saw her daughter. At once, the fierce look in her eyes disappeared and her natural aura of serenity returned. Severa began to connect the dots, only to not want to believe the answer. She was a child with a very sharp mind, after all. She knew that her mother never trained outside of Ylisse's army base. On top of that, just yesterday they met Ylisse's tactician who was allegedly working for new tactics. Was she preparing for another war? "M-Mother?" She asked with her heart beating fast. Her heart feared the future where her mother left her for an upcoming war. She couldn't afford to lose her only mother. Her only friend.

"Yes dear?" her mother replied in a calm tone. Judging from the sweat on her forehead, Severa deducted that she was training for a while. A stream of emotions and unpleasant thoughts crossed her mind like a rapid river which crushed her hopes for a calm and joyful future.

"M-Mother…" She tried to speak, but was under a shock. Cordelia feared for her daughter and urged to be by her side. "Severa! Are you alright?" She asked worried.

"A-are you preparing for…" She faintly said with her eyes getting mistier by the second. "… W-War?" The young girl completed her question, with tears running from her beautiful eyes. Cordelia was caught off guard. She was always honest with her. "I-I don't know dear. A while ago, Chrom informed me of Plegia's tactics. Spies, he had sent there, brought the information that Plegia was preparing for a new all out war. As such, he told me that he needed my help. I need to leave soon, but yesterday I arranged it so you can stay safe with your friends at the castle…" She confessed with guilt.

"NO!" The girl screamed instantly. "I-I don't want you to!" She continued. "I-It's l-like father a-again! You'll l-leave me t-too!" She mumbled but her tears got in the way. The young girl had broken down. Her sobs kept coming, and she pressed her forehead on her mother's shoulder. She felt hollow. To be precise she felt as if her heart kept coming and going, combating with a possible scenario that will be peaceful. Each hope she ever had for a bright future was getting lost in the depths of darkness.

"Dry your tears, love. This isn't a goodbye, not it will ever be," she said with care, sweeping her tears. "I _promise_ you, I'll return safe and sound. Chrom needs-"

"T-The _heck_ with Chrom!" She yelled out of pure frustration. "Chrom Chrom Chrom! It's _always_ Chrom with you! And what about father? Sometimes you make me feel like you _love_ him more than your own husband!"

"Hold it right there young lady. Your father and I didn't raise you to talk back at us!" She replied in a slightly aggressive tone. Then, Severa left her mother's side and ran towards her room, sobbing. "Severa!" Her mother shouted, with no response. Her child had left. She sighed. The Pegasus knight took of her armor and left her weapons on the grass.

The woman entered their house and went to see her daughter. Severa was crying on her bed. She had pressed her head on her pillow and tried to let her stream of emotions out. Comprehending a situation like this… It was too much for her. Cordelia stepped into her room. Severa after hearing her entering yelled again. "Leave! Go to your precious Chrom, like father, and never return!" She screamed overemotional. Cordelia was disappointed with herself for handling the situation poorly.

"Severa. You've got it wrong honey. I'm not an easy woman to kill. I _will_ return to you, I promised you that. And I know you're better than this. I know that sometimes you might feel like you disappoint me, but you're destined for much greater things than your father or me. So please try to-"

"I-If you leave, I'll.. I'll hate you f-forever!" She shouted again, warning her. This was her last ace in the hole. The knight couldn't but sigh. Suddenly, they heard a man knocking their front door. It was the time for her to leave.

"L-Looks like it's time for me to go," she said with a heavy heart. "Know that I'll return no matter what and that I'm fighting for what _really_ matters to me," she responded. "A carriage will take you to the castle. Stay safe and take care of yourself. I hope you'll understand. I love you." Those were the last words she ever heard from her. Severa saw her back as she was leaving. Her inside was a mess. Grief, sadness and rage. "I-I hate you!" She screamed with wrath and continued sobbing. Her last image of her was the look of disappointment in her eyes. That look haunted her ever since.

A while later, the carriage driver found the door of her house open and damaged. Opening the door into the house only intensified his curiosity and sense of danger. With amazement he found the rooms and everything in a mess. "Good Lord! Was this place hit by a hurricane?" He couldn't but wonder.

The middle-aged man transferred Severa to the castle, where she spent the rest of her days until the resurrection of Grima. After leaving her home Severa was never the same, something inside her had completely changed. It was at the castle where she was informed, soon after her arrival, along with Lucina that her father had been betrayed and that Cordelia didn't return within the remnants of Ylisse's troops, but fell alongside Chrom and Robin. The only things her mother had left her were the lance, her wedding ring and…

"Severa! May I enter?" The princess knocked the door of her room. Severa agreed and she entered. Among her friends Severa knew that Lucina was suffering as much as she did. "This letter… it's for you. She had given it to my mother and told her to deliver it to you, in case she..."

"I don't care," she replied in her now usual tone. "I'm afraid I can't do anything about that," Lucina replied disheartened.

The princess left the letter on her desk and silently walked her way out the room. As soon as she was alone she immediately tried to get her hands on it. She ripped the envelope and took out the letter. She recognized that handwriting and was touched.

_"To my dearest daughter,_

_if you're reading this then, I'm afraid you must learn that I'm not the perfect person you think I am. I'm nothing more but a mother you can't fulfil a single promise she made to her beloved daughter. However, this would mark the first time I've ever lied to you. As far as Chrom is concerned, you deserve to know the truth. Years ago, I used to be painfully lonely. I had deeply fallen in love with a man I could never have. I felt so lonely that the emptiness inside me would even make me dream of death. Things only got worse when my best friend was engaged and married to him. But, later I was lucky enough to have found another man who could set me free from my darkness. He was a man that could sustain both my daughter and me. I never lied when I said that I loved you and your father more than anything in my life, more than how I did Chrom. I guess if you're reading this, I've finally reunited with him. And do know that both he and me couldn't be more proud of our lovely daughter. We'll be always looking from above wishing you luck in every step you make. So, you don't need to push yourself to surpass neither he nor me. Though, I know you're destined to become great and leave a mark on this world. Please, conquer your dreams and know that your limits are only the ones you place on yourself. And when things seem dark you must only feel joy, because it's always darkest before the dawn. And the dawn always comes. Lastly, I would like you to know that the only thing that was, is and will always be perfect about me is my one and only daughter. I love you Severa. Always remember that. I dream that you would never have to read this letter. Take care of yourself, honey._

_Forever yours,_  
_Cordelia"_

"I've failed you mother, I did nothing but fail you. If I hadn't said those terrible things you'd return... I was the true liar... I love you mother. Oh, mother..." She said regretful, but what was done couldn't be undone. The tears she shed on the paper were washing away the ink and mourned the passing of her parents...

* * *

"I g-guess this serves me right, m-mother… I can finally be f-free from my s-sin," the mercenary thought as she saw the figure who resembled her mother ready to deliver the final blow. Her last tear splashed on the ground. "Mother, p-please forgive me for everything I said to you... Set me free..." She chose for this to be her last sentence as she closed her eyes and hoped to be reunited with her soon.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 14: Hurricane Severa_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hello again everybody! I hope you liked this chapter. The next upload will be even more fast!

As always you can participate on a poll I made for self improvement.

Replies to Recent Reviews:

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	44. Chapter 15: The Infinite Treasure Room

**The Infinite Treasure Room**

* * *

"Klang!" "Chin!" The sound of pure metal hitting metal echoed in the silent room. There was nothing in this tense atmosphere. With each hit the princess' Falchion became more and more heavy. She could feel it. This wasn't her going all out. Her moves weren't anything but defensive and she wasn't sure for how long she could keep blocking hits. However, everything happened so quickly she couldn't grasp the events. When her opponent swung his Falchion for a critical hit, Lucina evaded it but her eyes were locked on Robin's pierced body. She couldn't but stare shocked at him. And the worse had yet to come. Robin hadn't passed out because of exhaustion. His blood was exuding from his wound like a rapid river steadily forming a lake of terror. Robin was utterly defeated. The person she entrusted her dreams on was on the verge of death.

On top of that one of her closest allies, and above all, true friend followed the same fate. "So, this is our fate?" She wondered in mere milliseconds. Her wall of hope started to crack. Brick by brick it was on the brink of collapse. The addition of the tactician on the team had helped a lot on building it from scratch, after Ylisse's ultimate fall. But now?

"Darn it! It happened way earlier than I expected!" Tiki thought troubled. The manakete so far had a supportive role in the fight, mostly in Cynthia's. She knew all along its purpose. She didn't want to take any risk, but she believed in the new Shepherds. Nevertheless, her risk didn't pay off. Two of her most valuable soldiers were down and she couldn't afford a single casualty. "I have to step in…"

Instantly, the room was illuminated with such a strong light, that everyone else instinctively closed their eyes for a second. The manakete's outer appearance of a young and charming woman was no more. In her place was now a fearsome dragon. Its rough skin was filled with scars of countless fights and its shine resembled sun's light. The main color of the light was soft green like her hair. The dragon was slim and its wings were light yet could cause a strong gust. Lastly the dragon had a vicious face showing wrath in its red eyes. It opened its mouth to reveal teeth sharper enough to compete the Falchion and the dragon cried. The cry was ear-splitting and intimidating, as if it reflected the limits of her strength.

The fearsome beast flapped its wings and flew against the lancer. Having caught the lancer's attention she effectively stopped her from delivering the final blow on the mercenary. The beast opened its mouth again and a gleam was slowly getting more intense. Before the lancer could move she had already breathed her dragon ball. The lancer was caught off guard. The gap between their true strength was apparent. The woman couldn't anticipate such a fast hit, yet she rapidly tried to evade it. However, the only thing she managed to do was to limit her injuries. When the dragon's blast hit the ground the explosion was powerful enough to create a powerful wave that caused her to fall on the ground.

It was at this moment that their fight was over. Tiki's true form was too much. Everything happened in this moment. The manakete's experience was enough to predict the lancer's move. It would be foolish of her to just blindly attack. Instead, her plan was to lure her in this exact position. Trapped in the aftermath of a supposedly attack that was aiming at her. When the second blast came the lancer was turned into ashes. Their fight lasted no longer than thirty seconds, but it seemed like an eon for the princess.

Inside the lord's head a voice echoed: _"We must not waste any more time. Robin, Severa and possibly others are critically injured. Defeat the leader. Defeat the shadow of your father Lucina! Save the Shepherds!"_

The Voice just confirmed Lucina's worst fear. She was suspicious of it at the beginning, but now it was clear. During the Azure trial each one of them saw the illusion of their worst inner fear. A fear that stems from their traumas. Severa's trauma was none other than guilt. Guilt for being responsible for the death of her most important person in the world; her mother. Robin's fear was being allured by darkness; his uncertainty for the future, for his past, for his beloved princess. Owain's fear of witnessing his father dying in cold blood protecting him from an enemy's arrow. Cyntia's fear of losing her mother and the collapse of every anchor she had in life. Inigo's fear of ultimate destruction and guilt for being powerless against the enemy and unable to protect or give hope to those in need. And now this was Shepherds' true challenge. A fight against the people whose passing formed their deep hollow hearts. A true fight against those fears, who now had bricks-and-mortar.

Tiki knew the origin of such trial. This was her risk. Were the Shepherds ready for their ultimate challenge? Severa proved not. Lucina hesitated after getting suspicious and Robin's tactic proved wrong. However, if they could pass it, then they could have got freed from the guilt, freed from the burdens and the chains they hold on their hearts. They would have overcome their fears and they would have regained their hope and belief for world's salvation. That said, this was the reason Tiki had taken precautions.

The lancer was obliterated and there was nothing left than ashes. After witnessing that, the shadow figure of Chrom resumed the fight against his daughter. His eyes now became brighter and their gleam was red. With no remorse or compassion he continued delivering blows aiming for the complete annihilation of his opponent, exactly like Cordelia. Tiki didn't want to interfere, but proceeded to control the outcome of Cynthia's fight. The girl hadn't noticed anything so far, apart from Tiki's transformation. She was absorbed in her fight and cause.

Chrom held his sword with his right hand trading his defense for power. Lucina wasn't attacking anyway. She stood passive in this fight with her life on the line. For the second time in her life she had completely flinched, making the inside of her head a complete mess. The idea of Robin's death and the idea of losing everything made her stiff character to crack. Chrom's next hit was strong enough to push her away and make her fall on the ground, reminding her of Robin's fall.

"Pathetic…" The man murmured, disregarding his opponent. "Where's your courage? Is this the power of your ideals? Is this the power of your dreams?" He shouted in a complete aggressive tone, as if he was scolding her. Lucina knew he was right. This fight took a whole different turn. From a fight of swords it became an inner fight of her ideals. A fight against herself. "Father," she thought and remembered the figure she admired the most. "Father, please give me strength..." At that moment, as if it was a miracle, she heard her father's voice. She couldn't know how, nor she ever learned. But inside of her head King Chrom's voice echoed: "_I'll forever be the sword at your side my love. I can never leave you. I'll always be your sun in the morning and your moon at night. I'll always believe in you._" Was it her imagination? Was these the words she needed to hear? Yes they were. And they were effective. Then, the lord watched her surroundings and saw her fallen comrades along with the others. "You've done nothing but protect me. It's my turn now... Father, thank you..."

The shadow figure slowly came closer for his final hit. "If so, then accept your fate and pay the ultimate price like we did before you!" He shouted and raised his sword for his last attack.

"Never!" She cried out with a fiery spirit. The look on the lord's face had changed. "As long as my friends believe in me I'll never surrender. They've entrusted their dreams, their hopes in me. This is my duty. Until it's completed I'll _never_ surrender. _You will not stop me!_ Neither you nor anyone will tell me what my fate is. And if it's death then _I'll challenge this fate…! I'll make my own fate!_" Lucina screamed in return. "Hang in there…" She thought and got up.

It was time for the Exalt of Ylisse to step up. She pointed her Falchion on her enemy. "You're not my father… Nor you fight half as good," she said and rushed at him. She was moving rapidly against her opponent. Her Falchion's tip was slicing the carpet, creating sparkles as it touched the ground. The man opted to attack straight on in order to block the hit and come closer to her. Lucina though jumped, making him confused. As she was in the air her body flipped and as a result she evaded his hit. When she had landed the Falchion had already sliced the figure's neck causing it to release something like a gas.

The lord believed it was over, but the man turned for his last resort. Lucina heard his steps. She closed her eyes and murmured: "So you chose to make me go all out. Alright then..." She closed her eyes and for a moment she focused. The Falchion glowed as a result. Its bright blue light cloaked her outline. "This is the power of the Exalt. The power of the Sun and Moon. _Aether_!"

Suddenly, the room lit even brighter than before and in an instant Falchion absorbed all of the light causing complete darkness. A very loud sound was heard twice as if something exploded. After a few seconds everything came back to normal. There was no sign of her enemy. Not even a single grain of ash. The only one left standing was the lord, who felt her legs weak. They trembled. She was about to collapse, but knelt using the Falchion as a stave. The usage of such power took a toll on her body.

"It's over…" She said relieved. The shadow figures that opposed them were no more. After their leader's fall the Deadlords were gone. She hadn't realised it until she saw her sister having no one to fight against. "It's over..." She said again. However, in reality it was far from over. In front of her stood Tiki and instead of congratulating her she reminded her they were running out of time. Next to her, much to her surprise was the vibrant swordsman.

"Lucina we must hurry! We've got no time to rest," he told her in a serious tone. Owain's face revealed his nervousness. Lucina was eager to know how he came so fast to them, but acknowledged that they ought to save their friends as soon as possible. "Before the fight Tiki had told me that our true mission would be to find the treasure room. Lucina, our only hope is to reach the treasure room. We must find Gules!" Before Lucina could ask how, Owain continued. "Tiki ordered me to find the door that leads to the treasure room and I believe I have. Robin and Severa are in a critical condition. Brady's staff can't do a single thing. Only the Gules... the gemstone of _Life_!"

Lucina nodded, agreeing with his words. With each second passing their friends took a step closer to death. "Hang in there…" She thought. The lord found the strength to get up. "Then let's go! Tell Brady to stay with Cynthia so he can preserve them in this state. Is anyone else in the same condition?" The princess asked worried as they were following Owain's directions. "No, although we had a rough start nobody else was hurt that bad."

Tiki was silent. Her ace in the hole was the blonde swordsman. She couldn't be in two rooms at the same time. Their key towards their problem was Gules, a stone bearing amazing amount of healing power, but unable of resurrection.

"But it won't be easy… In order to reach the room we must first find it… Tiki said it's like a labyrinth and time is not on our side, I'm unsure if we can make it..." He said with his eyes misty. "We WILL!" Lucina responded with a yell at once, without wanting to even hear the scenario where her friends had died. Tiki continued: "Even I don't know the correct route. That is why it is called: The thousand door treasure room, due to the infinite loops you might find yourself into." "It is said it stores infinite treasure, but it's impossible to find. We must be cautious when picking doors, as any mistake is fatal," Tiki informed.

"So it's us against all odds. Don't worry milady," Lucina replied with confidence. "That's what he would have said," She thought. "We'll find it! I'm sure of it! Now let's go!" She ordered and rushed to search for the next legendary gemstone with courage. "This is our time to tip the scales...!"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 15: The Infinite Treasure Room_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** -TBUpdated-

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	45. Chapter15:The Infinite Treasure Room(II)

**The Infinite Treasure Room (II)**

* * *

Darkness. That was all he could see, all he could sense, all he could feel. He could sense his eyes being straight open, but he still couldn't see anything. He felt his legs light and not touching the ground, as if he was floating. The tactician couldn't but kept hearing the dull sound of his breath over and over again.

"So, this is death, huh?" He wondered. His vision was shut, but his thoughts carried him away. His nervousness and stress for his comrades was there next to him. Guilt for his inability began haunting him. "She can't have died. There must have been a way…" he though but deep inside he knew there wouldn't be one. He tried to comfort himself by providing him with false hopes, but no one can fool themselves. He knew his adventure with the Shepherds was over.

The former tactician didn't want to cry, but his eyes were already misty. "What's the point?" He thought. "Would it change anything?... Damn it!" His attitude changed instantly. His fury for his mistake burned him on the inside like the blistering fire of his spells. However, this guilty feeling couldn't be burnt alongside them. Robin wasn't able to see but felt the tear running down from his right cheek. "And what could I do? She was unreal!" He continued his monologue. "My attacks weren't enough, Severa's attacks weren't enough. No… This wasn't right. She wasn't herself. Lucina wasn't herself. The trial… To put the past behind… We weren't ready, yet Tiki made us try to pull it through. Why?" He asked. "Why!?" He shouted. "And were in the world am I?" He yelled. His angered voice echoed in the nothingness. Its sound was more saddening that he could ever believe. He was alone. And this hurt him the most. This was the most severe loneliness. He didn't ache by being alone. Instead he ached by being alone, as a result of his own mistake.

"It's futile. All my actions were futile and everything I try from now is in vain," he believed, letting another tear flow. "I'm sorry Severa, in the end I couldn't p-protect you... He was right. Owain, Laurent, I… Damn!" He cried with mixed feelings. "I-I wonder…"

"I wonder if you… You'd feel sorry now that I'm gone, or you'll be angry with me because I failed you," this was his last thought before he stopped trying. Robin tried to relax his body and empty his mind only to fail. "I wonder…" He said before cracking.

In this silent time, like a faint ray of light and hope the tactician heard a feminine voice. It sounded pure, majestic and this sweet sound reminded him of his favorite one. The voice brought peace and lightened his mind, which was clouded by his dark thoughts. Out of thin air a woman appeared in front of him. Everything was dark, but he could clearly see her, as if it was a miracle. She was shining like a small sun, with the strength of the light slowly fading. Her light embraced the man and he saw her with his very own eyes. She had straight long emerald green hair, which looked like a field full of life. Her eyes were of the same enchanting color, which resembled Tiki's. She was thin and elegant, wearing a light pink dress, while her pure white arms were studded with golden rings. Lastly, behind her snow white neck a velvet blue veil floated.

"Wh-Who are you?" He asked curious. Although her appearance was sudden, she inspired confidence. She smiled. This pure and bright smile warmed his heart.

"Do you love her?"

Such a simple question, with such a hard answer. "What kind of question is this?" The tactician thought. "W-What do you mean? Who are you?" He asked feeling his cheeks getting hotter and hotter. The woman giggled.

"So, you do not? I thought you promised _even if you die you would return to her no matter what. _However, dear soldier you've surrendered." Those words stroke him like a thunder. His heartbeat exploded. "What do you mean? This doesn't feel like a dream at all?Am I indeed… _dead_?"

"You're the closest to death you've ever been." As soon as the woman finished her sentence the scenery around Robin changed instantly. The darkness was no more. Nevertheless, this didn't mean it was time for light either. Intimidating sounds echoing in the thunderstorm broke the silence. The tactician found himself on a battlefield, a limitless barren land expanding before his eyes. It was a matter of seconds after his clothes and skin were wet. Nonetheless, the tactician knew this place was the embodiment of his worse nightmare. He somehow knew it wasn't real. He had gotten used to the series of dreams, illusions and any form of trick his mind could pull. And now this was indeed the worst one. The heavy downpour gave away the illusion of creating a wall of water in each of the tactician's step. The ground was nothing more that pure mud. The water would also form small ponds to difficult his steps. But Robin knew where he was heading.

The icy dark grey sky restlessly grumbled. The clouds got only darker and denser. The tactician eventually stopped walking. He wasn't apathetic to what he saw. Only grief and guilt tortured his mind. There was nothing but corpses. The mutilated or burned bodied of his best friends. The heavy rain only washed away the blood, but not his guilt. He heard the voice again.

"This isn't a dream, brave soldier. This is the reality," she said raising more questions than answers. "Do you mean that all of the S-Shepherds are…?" He didn't even want to think about this. He feared making this question. He had already accepted the fact that his own miscalculations cost him his life, but he was happy he could at least offer _something_ to the Shepherds.

"Yes," she said in a cold way. "They all faced horrible deaths, with the leader having the worse fate," she continued. Robin felt like loosing the ground beneath his feet. "W-What? How? When?" He slowly started to lose his mind. Then the woman appeared before him for one more time.

"Who a-" he tried to ask acting on impulse. "I am the Divine Dragon, Naga. What you see now is a world that faced the ultimate demise. Even I did not have the power to save it. But you… You can! This is why you were summoned, to prevent this world from destruction. This is the fate of a world without your intervention. You are very important brave soldier. You are of outmost importance," she said in an assertive tone. This load of information was too much for the tactician to handle... "Why me?"

"Because you can save it. You promised the princess that you would create a future for her to be happy didn't you?"

"Lucina…" He murmured, lowering his head.

"You do love her, don't you?"

Robin's silence said more than his words ever could have.

"Love, brave soldier, isn't expressed with mere words. Our words bare no value. Love is expressed through our own actions. Your actions are the ones that define you. You proved that during your first day with the Sepherds by passing their loyalty test."

"But what can I do? I failed them! I did noting but fail them! My actions killed Severa! In the end, my own vanity of protecting them backfired!"

"That is for you to find. You're good with tactics, right?" Robin smiled, slightly irritated realizing his own mistake. And he now realized how important he was and how easy everything could simply collapse to pieces. He wasn't a white knight, fighting to help everyone. His role wasn't to carry the burden of his friends alone, but to help them carry it. You can never save everyone. Severa fell on the battlefield and because he believed he could save her all alone. That was his flawed logic. Severa's true enemy didn't lie in front of her, but inside. It was something she had to fight alone. By paying more attention to others, Robin forgot to care about himself. If he wasn't in condition of helping them, what was the point? Although realizing his true place in Shepherds would mean more stress for him, he wasn't at all stressful. Instead, he felt motivated for having a second chance. He had reignited the spark of his endeavors.

"Thank you, Naga. I'll do my best," the snow white haired man said with a smile. Naga nodded and dissolved along with his guilt, his fears and surroundings...

* * *

"Lucina!" He screamed his head off. His heartbeat was fast, and his skin had taken on a glossy shine. It was glistering in the room's light. "Damn it all!" He shouted as soon as he realized he had lost his way. The vibrant swordsman was alone in a room that felt the same as every other. The red carpet under the gold-like floor, the faint lights and the dampness of the atmosphere only made things worse. "Okay, remember what our father told us. Let's take things from the beginning. We left Robin at Brady's hands… Entered the main door… and then… Gah!" He shook his head in annoyance. "Remember you dolt! Oh, now I sounded like her… She needs me. For the first time, Owain, she needs us," he said with courage.

However, the swordsman was already tired. He could feel it on his body. The battle and the stress knowing the importance of their mission had taken a great toll on his body. This tiredness affected his concentration as well. In this moment of confusion he couldn't remember the timeline of events. "Come on Ow! And then… Damn I don't have time to think!" He was right. The vibrant swordsman rushed to find an exit. In front of him lied three doors one in each direction. He chose to go right. The man faced the door. There was something particular about it. The door was made of pure wood and had the color of black. It was amazingly crafted depicting the face of a snake. Owain didn't pay attention to it and rushed to close his fingers around the handle. The creaking noise of the door brought a chill down his spine. He proceeded to enter the next room, but he decided not to close it. His reason was simple. He wanted to find his way back in case he got lost. However, he was already.

The blonde swordsman entered an identical room. "It can't be…" He said as he stared at it. Series of thoughts crossed his mind. Like a downpour his head was instantly flooded with different scenarios and explanations trying to answer what is happening. Though, this wasn't his true rival. It was a race against time and the clock was ticking. Owain tried to run choosing a door at random. He faced the next door. This time the wild and open mouth of a lion was crafted on it.

His worse fear became a reality. The next room wasn't any different. He panicked. Tension grew in his face and limbs, his mind replaying his worries and his thoughts. He couldn't make a single step. His only move was the shaking of his limbs. He knew this feeling. He knew it well. He hated it.

Despair. He stood there powerless. He had every reason to succeed, like a hero. The hero he used to hear about every night, though the lips of his mother. Though everything led to the conclusion that he wouldn't. He was remembered of despair. Wanting to help, begging to be able to help, but can't. He knelt and in his anger he tightened his fist and slammed the floor. He was reminded of the fateful day he last saw his father. It was a scary sight. His chest was penetrated by an arrow as well as his leg. The man ready to lose all consciousness spitted any blood that was left inside of his mouth. His legs now weak began crumbling down. His son, standing behind him stood astonished. Fear, anxiety, anger and above all despair. Powerless to do anything he began pleading for nearby help. He shouted, he screamed, but before he tried to leave his father in search for help he extended his weak hand telling him to stay. Owain knew he couldn't. The boy tried to run but the moment he did an arrow slashed his right cheek. He lost his balance and fell close to his father.

At that moment, the blonde boy saw him. An archer from far away was targeting him. It was supposed to be an ordinary day, but the worse always come when they are the least expected. With his eyes misty he gazed at the murderer as a new arrow flew against him. It would have hit him, if not for his father once again. This time it was the palm of his hand. The arrow had pierce through it, but it acted as the perfect shield. The man now fell on the ground. The boy was left alone.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 15: The Infinite Treasure Room_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** We're back. Oh boy... We we got a new working environment, we got sick multiple times, we went to hospital several times... A crazy lot of things happened... But we're back. I would like to thank everyone for their patience and positive feedback on the story. It literally gives me the strength to continue. Thank you. I'll only work hard to deliver and reach your expectations :)

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	46. Chapter15:TheInfinite Treasure Room(III)

**The Infinite Treasure Room (III)**

* * *

The next chapter will be uploaded on early July. Thank you for your patience :)

* * *

Owain tightened his fists. With his full strength he slammed the ground, like it was one of his most fierce rivals. As if it was his worse enemy.

"I'm sick of this!" He screamed. His face red, revealing the pressure and his strain. His eyes red, pouring an endless flow of tears. His fists red, tirelessly hammering the ground. He was desperate. Little by little, he was cracking down. He couldn't hold it anymore. "I'm sick of this! I'm sick of being weak. I… I…" He was at a loss for words. The inside of the vibrant swordsman was nothing more than another fight. A fight that every Shepherd had to do. A fight against themselves, against their past and traumas. It was indeed their ultimate fight.

His past came to life as soon as he began remembering it. His surroundings of the fateful day, the woods, the sky had taken their true forms and along with them so did his father and his younger self. The man didn't feel amazed. Instead, without feeling anything other than being hollow, he tried to navigate himself to the incident. He saw it all over again, but this time as an outside observer. He mustered his courage to withstand reliving his past.

With a broken heart he saw his nightmare. The archer had the eyes of an eagle in search for prey. Those eyes revealed his intention to kill. This fierce and menacing look never left the young boy. His hand reached back and grabbed an arrow from his quiver. The vibrant swordsman stared at his past self and how innocently he spent time with his father. It was one of the days they would practice swords together. The warmth of those carefree "father and son" days brought another tear in his already misty eye. He smiled as he gazed happily at his father trying to teach his younger self the art of the sword. His opponent would have been the trunk of that old tree in front of him.

"You must never let your guard down and underestimate the enemy! Back in Plegia many Ylisseans had committed the same mistake and paid with the ultimate price. That's called _arrogance_…" His father warned him with his deep voice. "And arrogance is one of your worst enemies…"

"… That's why a true swordsman should be first noble in his heart," present Owain completed.

The swordsman murmured his father's words. He had learned by heart all of his rules and lessons. However, the fateful moment was coming closer. The swordsman could figure it out. From far away he saw the arrow coming. Its flight path was perfect: between the branches and above the slope the arrow was ready to pierce through the young boys head, if not for his luck. The boy unable to hold the heavy sword found himself tripping and, as he fell, the arrow hit the trunk.

The relaxed atmosphere had turned into a crisis. Unfortunately, the next arrow didn't miss. It had successfully hit his father. Then the next one followed and hit his leg. The man who, through his son's eyes, looked like a giant, collapsed in front of his own child.

"Nooo!" Present Owain screamed as he rushed to the scene. "Run you fool! HELP him! Why are you standing there!?" He desperately shouted. Nonetheless, Owain didn't notice that the boy and he bared the same look in their face. The boy in panic fled and the last arrow hit his father's hand.

The vibrant swordsman couldn't stare at the picture. In this moment of grief, he heard his father calling him. The flow of time had stopped right before his father had lost his consciousness. The man saw his self frozen in time. He rushed next to his father as fast as he could.

"Dad!" He screamed. His voice revealed his sadness, though it revealed his slight relief as well. The reunion with his father, even in these absurd circumstances. Even in the middle of his worst nightmare, his will to listen to him again, to speak to him were far greater than his fears.

The powerless man saw his son for the last time. Owain had knelt and held him in his arms. He was, now, strong enough to do so. His father mustered every single amount of energy he had left to caress his son's cheek and speak. "Y-You've grown so much…" He said with tears. Those were the tears of a proud father. "I'm so… I'm…-"

"Dad! I'm sorry I couldn't protect you. It's all my fault… Because of me you… you…" he said with his eyes becoming mistier. "Don't leave me… Please…" his father brushed his tear. All Owain ever wanted was summarised in those two words. His innermost desire was nothing more than a false hope. Now, the young man held his precious father in his worn out hands.

"I-I'll always protect you son… No m-matter how old o-or strong you become… To me you'll always be my little Ow' and… I'll forever be your… _shield_," his father said with a warm smile before exhaling for the very last time.

Owain was holding tight his father's body and his hands were gripped on it. His pain was still there, but a part of his guilt wasn't. Even in the very end, his father would protect him. It didn't matter if he was injured or not. He'd still risk everything in order to save him. Not because he was foolish, but because he put his own son above his instinct of survival. Because he loved him.

* * *

Without realising it, as soon as Owain opened his eyes he had returned to the room. The young man took a deep breath and exhaled his dark thoughts away. "It still hurts." The swordsman thought, but remembered something very important. He had to continue. He had to keep fighting for his father's memory, for his mother's, for his friends and for humanity. Indeed by fighting alone he wasn't powerful enough to do it. However, if he took account of the Shepherds overall strength there's still hope. And he built on this hope.

Owain tried to get up. The moment he did he heard a familiar voice. _"Hahaha,"_ a pure and carefree laughter. _"What are you looking at? Hmph! It's not that I found it funny or anything…"_ For reasons he couldn't explain he heard a sound that he adored.

"Severa…" The vibrant swordsman thought. "I must…"

_"Why don't you carry a shield? Don't you want to protect yourself? You know, you're testing my tactics' limits right now… I'm unsure how I can protect you all…"_

"Robin…" He said and frowned. "I'm Shepherds' _shield_. Just like my father was for me…" The young man stared at the ceiling. "Thank you for reminding me, father," he said with gratitude.

His eyes had returned to normal and his fists didn't hurt as much. Though this time, his spirit was different. His attitude was different. Now he wasn't afraid anymore. He was a man with determination. With guts. With sheer will. A true warrior.

The blonde swordsman stood up and everything came back to him. He reviewed everything that happened from the moment he stepped on this maze. He giggled. "Indeed," the man thought. "You can never connect the dots when your mind's fuzzy. Neither can you solve this _puzzle_…"

With his eyes bursting with confidence the man rushed at the nearest door. Again, the man faced the three doors. The black doors gazed at the man like they were testing him. Owain quickly went straight for the middle one. He opened the door with zero hesitation and proceeded to the next room. Again and again, he ran and picked the next door after the other.

He could sense it. His skin was red and hot. The humidity and his sweat now made his body heavier. But, his physical strain didn't stop him. With his heart pumping like he just had finished training, the man continued.

Upon entering another door the sight he had faced so many other times was different. Much like his reaction. His blonde hair was dripping wet, much like his eyes. However, this time it was not from sadness, neither from sorrow, but from relief and joy.

In front of him stood a person he knew very much of. Relieved he rushed to her, his cousin. She didn't respond, but was silent. She gave him a nod, ordering them to go on. Her worn out face revealed her exhaustion as well. Her hand trembled while she held her Falchion. The quiet princess, though, was amused by Owain's silly grin.

Owain felt relieved to see his gamble having paid off. His tactic was simple. Find anything that could connect the doors he had followed. And the answer to this was the animal that was depicted on them. The swordsman briefly scanned the available doors with his eyes and as soon as he found a new piece of the animal he chose that door. Little by little he was completing a puzzle, with each new door adding a new piece to the whole animal, in this case a lion. With his clear mind and belief that this was the right and only choice, he gambled his remaining time following this procedure when choosing doors.

Now, together they rushed to their final obstacle. The last door that was scarcely larger than the previous ones. Pitch black, with beautifully detailed golden drawings from different animals. Owain's focus was on the lion, while Lucina's on a different one. Without wasting any more time, both of them pushed the door to open it.

The last door led to an endless stream of infinite darkness. Nothing could be seen past it. Not even the floor. A cold breeze came from the next room and chilled their foreheads. The two Shepherds proceeded with courage and made the next step forward. The moment they both entered the room, the door shut. Now they both were alone in the dark room.

"Don't move Owain!" Lucina yelled her next order. Owain nodded, but after realising she couldn't see him, he responded with words.

_"Brave soldiers. You've done well to reach this sacred place. Do know that this room is not from your world. Thus, time doesn't flow in here. Proceed as you wish… But do know that only three entities can return back to earth."_

The two cousins already knew about the first item they were going to choose. However, standing in a room filled with infinite treasure they had to plan carefully what to choose to bring back with them. As soon as the deep and loud voice stopped, small torches that were carefully scattered across the room brightened it. Bearing little resemblance with the rest, this room had the golden carpet, but the atmosphere was cold. The chill was enough to make them feel cold. However, the major difference wasn't just that. It was its room was so vast that it expanded as far as their eyes could reach. It was enough to send shivers down their spine. Chests, armours, large tables with weapons and anything Owain could dream of was there. The only thing that was left to see was their priority, their target, their goal, the gemstone of life, Gules.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 15: The Infinite Treasure Room_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hey there! It's J.D. King with a new update. It's been a while since the last update. To the readers that anticipated the next update, I beg their pardon. And also many thanks for not forgetting about the story. This was a rough period for me which put my writing to a halt. However, the main reason for not having an update was nothing else but simply my lack of power. It was my incompetence for overcoming my exhaustion and continue doing something I love; writing. Now, I feel a lot more confident about the updates and can finally get back to work. Thank you for your support, I will work hard to exceed your expectations.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	47. Chapter 16: The Last Taguel

**The ****Last Taguel**

* * *

"Huff… Huff" The boy exhaled rapidly. He was grasping for breath and, as such, breathed heavily as soon as he stopped running. He had never felt his heart racing this fast. The boy noticed his sore and dry throat and how it ached with every breath. He desperately needed water to rejuvenate himself, but he'd only fool himself if he believed that would ever happen. Suddenly a pain surrounding his heart appeared. He gulped and couldn't but feel nauseous. The stress on his body and soul weighted more than he could hold. His legs shaking, his arms too. His forehead cold from the chilly air stroking it. He knelt and surrendered to the ones that caught up with him. As if…

"You're surrounded! There is no escape!"

"Graaaaaarl!" The young boy roared in a sudden and thunderous way. The sound was more than disturbing. It was deafening. His opponents instinctively closed their eyes and desperately moved their hands in an attempt to minimize the pain in their ears. However, this short space of time was enough for him to quickly stand again and fight. The boy in an instant attacked with his sharp claws quickly disarming them.

"Ok ok enough already!" A young and vibrant voice sounded. "It's your win Yarne, again… Hmph! I don't get it!" She said disturbed. "Why is it that you're so fast and strong when you're supposed to be younger than us? It's… It's unfair…! And we promised to not ruin our wooden swords! Now what will we say to the master tactician?"

"Just accept the loss Severa! There was nothing we could have done! Yarne was so amazing, but," Owain said and pointed to the young taguel. "I'll soon catch up to you! The legend of the great Ow has just begun! Just wait and see," he continued in a pride manner.

"Pff, there he goes again… That idiot…" Severa said haughtily.

"You guys… It's okay to lose. You outsmarted us Yarne," the young princess admitted. "Luring each of us here and facing us all together was indeed a very risky move. Judging from the results though, you thrashed our swords and proved victorious. Thank you! I learned a lot!" She continued. "Don't worry Severa, I'm sure the master tactician will understand… I hope."

Suddenly, the kids heard footsteps. A strong wind blew as a man wearing the royal cape came. Its dark blue color reminded them of the indigo sky after sunset, though, Owain was more charmed of the golden strands, of how well knitted they were and of course of the imposing golden crest of the royal guard. Serving the royal family and getting acknowledged by the hero Exalt that brought peace after the destructive war against the mad king was the highest honor for a knight. A mere dream for some, though a reality for others.

The man surely wasn't young neither an elder. He was silent and wore his hood in such a way that his long thick beard was the only aspect that could reveal any information about his face. The greyish beard climbed his face like raggedy vines after a severe winter with bristles sticking out in all directions. He was silent and his fearsome aura made their little hearts beat fast.

"It appears that the situation here is not of a major concern," he commented.

"Ergh, ehmm…" Lucina was at a loss for words. "We deeply apologise for causing you trouble master tactician. We were just playing and-"

"It was me…" Yarne said boldly. "I was the one that roared and caused you trouble." The man was amused.

"Oh, youth. So kind and pure. I admire your courage, young one. Judging from your rather unique physique and appearance you must be Panne's son. However, I must say that you didn't cause me any trouble! I just wanted to tell you that we've finished the meeting and your mother and father will be leaving soon."

"Oh, I see…" the young taguel replied. "I-It was very fun meeting and playing with all of you guys!" The taguel said to his newest friends. The children exchanged their goodbyes and the young beast caught up with his parents. They left soon after. The boy though had spent so much time with the rest of the children that he did not notice the uneasy look of his parents.

"Well, we created a new friend today didn't we Severa?" Owain asked the redhead. "Speak for yourself! I ain't playing with that cheater again! I'd rather spend the whole day with the Pegasi like Cynthia than playing with Yarne again…" She replied.

"Oh come on Severa! It wasn't that bad! We only get stronger when we face stronger foes!" The princess replied.

"But don't you guys believe that we're all very lucky? I mean that in this short timespan we've met a lot of children from the families that members of the legendary Shepherds have made! I'm meeting every one of my idols one by one so fast!" The young boy said with a passionate tone.

"That's surprisingly true. I wonder why my father… Nevermind… Let's go find Cynthia!" The princess said and went to find her sister.

* * *

"What is this place?" The blonde wondered. He rubbed his eyes and, with his blood aching, he continued towards the path to the gemstone of life.

"NO way!" he yelled. "I-It can't be… T-This is the true and only… Tyrfing! Lucin- Wow! And this is…" The young man gazed the jaw-dropping artifact. It's the blade of yore that only a person with the spirit of a true swordsman can wield it. It is said that this blade choses its own wielder! I was dreaming of this day and yet I can't believe it. Haha! Whoo-Hoo!" The man cherished his founding, acting like a child when receiving its most wanted present. His cousin stared at him with relief. "It's rare to see the true _old_ Ow'!" The princess thought regarding her cousin's vibrant and playful spirit. Through his joy she felt relieved. She couldn't explain why but this picture of Owain had only been a part of her cherished memories from the carefree childhood.

"Owain! Keep in mind we must bring back only three of these ancient relics. The first one is obviously Gules and we have to seriously think about the other two." She warned. The blonde nodded. He then turned to face the sword he admired the most. The sword that his father had told him much about. "This…" His tone suddenly changed. "This, heh, this is my childhood dream. Who could've thought that I'd face this thing," he turned to Lucina and continued: "This is the Demon Sword, the true version of my own silly Missiletainn. It's the sword I spent my childhood to find. _The Mystletainn_."

The legendary sword of yore was indeed fascinating. Its pommel and cross-guard were made of pure gold and had a sparkling emerald on its front and back side and a fiery red ruby respectively. The grip had the color of a pitch-black night and was made of leather. Lastly, the blade was made of stainless steel though it bared scars from its countless battles.

Lucina could easily read her cousins mind like an open book. Although she knew that such a weapon could boost his morale and efficiency in battle, what would she say to the others? Would such a decision harm the Shepherds, because they would miss a different artifact that could benefit every single one of them?

"Owain… We-"

"You don't need to say it, Lucina. I know," he said with a faint fake smile. "It would be selfish to choose something that would satisfy myself, rather than something that would be great help to the team. I know that. I'm not a kid anymore. My dream is not to find a legendary sword neither to become the greatest warrior anymore. So, let's go find Gules," he replied with a grin. The blue haired princess couldn't but acknowledge Owain's act and simply nodded. "Owain, I ought to tell you that the Mystletainn is not the best candidate for the relics we can pick," she said making Owain frown.

"What do you mean Lucina?"

"If only this place holds something more than just Gules…"

"Isn't that obvious though? I mean it's filled with legendary weapons that slew many forms of evil long time ago!"

"But this particular one could turn the tides of our battle…" the princess noted raising his eyebrows.

* * *

Time didn't flow in this place. The natural laws of order didn't apply here, thus the two could spend an eternity searching for regalia. While they continued diving deeper into the ocean of the ancient relics they came across some legendary weapons like Ragnell, Mercurius, Gungnir and more, but also many unknown ones, because they had their name and abilities lost in the depths of time. Nevertheless, the princess was desperately searching for one specific relic. Eventually, Lucina's eye caught a bright blaze from the locket of a chest. While the chest had no characteristic that could make it stand out from the many rest that they had opened, this one _felt_ different.

This awe feeling of hers was enough to pick her interest. With her eyes locked in this mysterious chest she knew that their searching was over. She unsheathed her Falchion and instantly broke the locket. Now it was time for the unveiling.

The sight was magnificent. She was captivated by the vibrant and clear carmine color of the gemstone of life. It reminded her of a fire shinning with all of its glory. The welcoming feeling of warmth and the sudden bites and snarls as you approach it. She could see the glowing embers twirled in a fiery dance as if it was calling for her to come near. And she did.

The princess called the blonde swordsman to see for himself. However, his reaction was slightly different. He couldn't view the fire as something calm, rather than as something fierce and destructive, thirsty to tear everything apart until it satisfies itself. Owain refrained from going anywhere closer to it. Lucina on the other reached for it and embraced it in her hands. Yes. The warmth indeed reminded her of fire. So warm and beautiful, like life itself. Nevertheless, the stone stood for more. It was the embodiment of their friends' lives. Finally, the period of stress was over. The battle for the sacred regalia was finished and the prize was in the palm of her hands, the gemstone of life Gules.

"We did it Owain! It-It's here!" She said thrilled to bits. According to their rough calculations the time was enough for them to return and mend the bodies of their comrades.

"Are you ready Owain?"

"Indeed I am Lucina! We actually did it…!"

"Alright then. Mus! We've chosen the three relics that we will bring back to our world!" She shouted with a clear and confident tone.

"_Brave soldiers. This test was not of your war techniques. It was to test the strength of your soul against your inner demons. The demonstration of pure courage and unmeasured determination has earned you the three ancient relics. You shall now return to the earth. We hope that you will fulfill your ambitions!"_

The low voice commented and bid farewell to the two Shepherds. Having indeed made a step forward it was time for the final one before their ultimate battle to decide the fate of the world.

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 16: The Last Taguel_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** Hey there! It's J.D. King with a new update. I'm actually unsure who reads these, but even if one person actually does then it's worth continuing them. Phew... It's been 3000 years but we've returned. This was by far the toughest chapter to write after facing so many blocks and demotivating and devastating life events that made me part ways with writing. No matter how hard one may try, life always shows them how unpredictable it can be. However, after sorting the things that actually contributed in starting this hiatus, I believe I'm ready to finish this story by going back in full time writing. My set goal is to finish this series by the end of September. Let's hope we can make it. And again, I owe a HUGE thank you to everyone who is sticking with this story. I strongly believe it has much to offer and I'll work hard to not disappoint and fail to meet your expectations. Until next time...

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


	48. Chapter 16: The Last Taguel (II)

**The Last Taguel (II)**

* * *

"Cynthia! Is everything clear?" the young girl asked in an uncertain tone. Her sister nodded slowly. "Lucina! W-What if we get caught?! I don't believe daddy can forgive us again today…"

"Phew! So the path is clear! Then we still got a little more time to find it! So far so good!" She answered relieved, causing her sister to sign. The young girl proceeded to enter the door as silent as humanly possible. In front of her eyes a large door expanded. She feared it. In the eyes of a child the door was humongous, heavy to push and a great hindrance for her goal. Though, above all it was the silent, but ruthless informer of her actions.

"Lucinaa! It's wooden! I'm sure they'll hear it squeaking! That's it! I'll return back, I don't to get grounded!" She whispered annoyed. "Cynthia! You don't understand! Here there might be something that can help father! Why doesn't anyone understand?" the princess replied, realizing that her forehead was starting to become wet. Her sister did not respond, but her action to leave cautiously was more than enough.

"Hmph… Fine! I'll do it myself then…" she frowned. Now she was all alone in the great corridor of her castle. The blue haired girl gulped, as she was about to face it. Only the sight of it sent chills down her spine. The girl proceeded to enter the key to the golden keyhole and slowly unlocked it. "We can do it. Steadily and easy…" she murmured as she extended her palm to calmly push the door to open. "Be brave… just like father…" The door started to move. The plan was to open it just enough to find herself a way in. That was it! The door hadn't done any sound so far, it could work! Lucina walked in a steady state towards the opening. She closed her eyes and… she opened them.

The royal library was now under her disposal. The girl stared at the thousands of books with awe. "Wow! It looks much bigger than last time!" she murmured again feeling the joy of her achievement. "Let's get to work!" the young lady thought and dived deeper into the world of literature and knowledge. However her plan wasn't flawless. There was one tiny detail that she wasn't able to predict. Her sister.

The defeated door was cracked open. The sound of heavy boots hitting the floor was intense enough to be heard across the room. Only the sound of them gave her the goosebumps. She was quickly shocked and unable to think fast. The princess got up from her table and tried to hide beneath it. It was futile. The steps were rapid and the sound grew larger and larger. Now the only sound she heard was her own heartbeat's. It stopped. This was her most frightful moment…

"Lucina!"

That was it. The time had come for her surrender.

"Y-Yes, father…" she replied in a weak and frightened tone. "Lucina, I have no words to say. You deliberately disobeyed me…" The king's eye locked on her book lying on the library's table. "Ugh, I'm disappointed…" He frowned.

"Dad…? I-I just wanted to find a way to help you in your army! To be brave and strong like you are! To protect you!" she responded with her eyes getting mistier.

"I'm not disappointed by you, but by me. Honey… Who are you going to protect me from?" Chrom knelt and caught her by her soft shoulders.

"F-from your enemies!"

"And who are they? Do you believe I'm strong because I've killed many? Because I've killed Gangrel and many enemy Plegians?"

"The m-mad king…?" The girl replied with a fast nod.

"Lucina… A day doesn't go by where I don't regret my actions…" He said in a serious tone.

"why ...?"

"The world we're living is very… complicated, but people are not meant to fight. They are not enemies of each other. However, when the lust for power devours the longing for peace, there is no option left. Your aunt used to say that _a true king doesn't need the sword_," he said in a saddened tone surprising the young girl.

"My dear daughter, I'm not a true king. I want to give you more than a sword and a world of troubles. I don't want you to repeat the same mistakes that I did, or my father before me. Nevertheless, I would lie if I told you I don't know your fascination with the sword. Now I know that no matter what I say you'll always find a way not just play with it with others, but to practice. Since your interest doesn't seem to wither, I will teach you myself how to use your own legacy… the Falchion," Chrom said wiping her tear.

"The… Fa-! Wow! You, you really mean it? Then… then I can finally be as good as you!" She said joyful causing Chrom to giggle. "That time will come after many hours of practice young lady. Keep in mind, my only condition is to use it so you can protect yourself and others, just like I always try to do." The girl nodded with a smile agreeing to his conditions.

"I won't always be there to protect you Lucina, but _I will always be there with you._ _I'll forever be the sword at your side my love. I can never leave you. I'll always be your sun in the morning and your moon at night. I'll always believe in you, my precious daughter._ " he said with a warm smile, kissing her forehead. The girl didn't understand her father's words at that time, but she felt sorrow for reasons she couldn't explain. The young girl instinctively embraced her father as tight as she could letting her mixed feelings explode.

* * *

The princess and the vibrant swordsman returned to earth. "Phew, things are more hot in here…" Owain complained.

"It's ok Owain, we don't have time to waste. We must bring Gules to Robin and Severa…" The princess replied with determination. Owain agreed with a smirk. The two quickly run to return back to the place where Brady was taking care of their friends. There, Lucina faced one her most feared horrors. She saw her friends lying on the floor, along with the other Shepherds. Brady was seen holding his staff, strained from his aid. They rushed at the scene. Brady saw them and judging from their expression he learned of their success. Lucina, on the other saw Robin with a hole on his chest and Severa with another one. The Shepherds had done their best, but the bleeding was too much as to form a pond.

"Lucina… I did the best I could, but they've lost a lot of blood. I dunno if there is still time left…" He said, lowering his head. The rest of the Shepherds had lowered their heads, as well, waiting for the outcome. The lord silently showed them the gem of life. This time there was no mere fire. There was a fearsome blaze. It resonated with the fallen comrades. Suddenly, the sacred stone began glowing brighter and brighter until no one could keep their eyes open. Its light had something unique to it. Warmth. Rejuvenation. Victory's bliss.

The light had faded. The scene was the same. The redhead and the tactician still lied expressionless. However, their wounds were healed with only the bloodstains remaining as a mark of their battle. Severa, began moving. Her eyes opened and she saw her beloved friends having surrounded them. She then turned to see the tacticians face and how close he was to her. With her cheeks having become rosy she instinctively got up and regained her memory before she fainted. "Eeeek!"

"Severa! Are you all right?" Owain quickly asked concerned. The redhead with a few quick looks saw nothing but pure agony drawn in the faces of her precious friends. Staring at the previous battle scene the mercenary remembered their battle. The last thing she saw before sobbing was Robin unconscious but healed. It was over. Their battle, even though lost, was over. The mercenary knelt and couldn't but open the gates of her inner emotions for a river of tears to stream out. Her mother was gone. Dying wouldn't bring her back. It wouldn't undo her actions. The only way of redemption would be through her own actions from now on. However, she still felt void inside her.

"Severa!" The blonde saw her condition and tried to comfort her, but Tiki told him to refrain to which he agreed. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and, with eyes matching her hair's color she stopped. "I-I'm so sorry everyone. I wish for you to-"

"Say no more Severa. The lord replied immediately by extending her arm and helping her get up.

"We'll always do... Welcome back," she slowly continued, glancing on the tactician. The rest of the Shepherds embraced her and welcomed her as well. "Don't scare us like that again! You hear?" Cynthia scolded her with tears in her eyes. In this touching reunion the lord remained calm and waited for Robin to join them. The tactician was still lying on the floor with the cleric next to him. Brady confirmed his heart was beating.

Soon, the tactician returned from his slumber as well. He opened his eyes and let the scene of the Shepherds flash before his eyes. "Here 'ya go!" Brady yelled relieved. The tactician's head was still fuzzy, but he remembered the dialogue with Naga crystal clear. He then took a closer look on the hole on his clothes and his chest beneath them. The wound was gone. Severa and everyone else were all right as well. He had returned and the Shepherds were beyond happy, except…

"You… Liar!" She aggressively shouted raising questions among the Shepherds. "Coward!" She continued. "If it hadn't being for Gules both of you would be dead! You were supposed to protect her and _yourself_! What kind of a pathetic tactician are you?" He wasn't ready to face her. Nevertheless, he could see right through her. Lucina was the only one not smiling and the fire in her eyes was burning strong. Her words pierced him one after another like a shower. "They hurt… But she's right," he thought. His mind was empty and found nothing to defend himself from her merciless attacks. He had yield to her Falchion.

"Severa would have _died_ because of you. _You_ would have _died_ Robin." The word death echoed inside his head over and over and over again. "Don't you think I know?!" He yelled back. "I was desperate! I felt like I was loosing the earth beneath my feet. What was I supposed to-"

"_To value your own life a little_!" This time she screamed. It was the first time he heard her scream in that way. Those words were the final blow for him. For reasons he couldn't explain he remembered Naga. Lucina summarized their meeting in a few words. It was the answer he was looking for. What he felt couldn't be described. Guilt. Pain. Emptiness. They are not enough.

"You're important to us! To _me_! I believed in you that day Robin!" With one word his mind took him back to the Valley, where he had confessed his own love to the lord. Where he had promised her of a new world, peace and hope. A promise he hadn't kept.

"Damn it Lucina! You're right in everything you say... I'm sorry!" He responded raising his tone. "For everything…! For being pathetic, for being the worst example of a tactician, for being a coward by thinking that death would be redemption. I know… Now I know…" A single tear ran down his white cheek. "But I meant everything I said! I did everything for you, because you're all important to me! And I mean it… I mean it…" He lowered his head, letting more droplets touch the soft carpet.

Lucina knelt next to him and calmly said: "We know, Robin. You're important to us as well. That's why we need you close to us."

"Yes! Yes, we know Robin! We know how much you value us!" The young manakete interfered breaking the Shepherds' silence. "First we had Noire and we almost lost both of you, but you're here and that's all that m-matters. Welcome back…" She tried to finish but was overwhelmed by her own emotions and shed a tear of joy.

Without wasting any more time the vibrant swordsman grabbed the gemstone of life out of Lucina's hand and raised it up in the air. "We… We WOOON!" Owain screamed his lungs out. "Ha ha! We came out of this alive! With the help of me and my trusty… Oh! We haven't told you guys what we saw on the treasure room! You see-!"

The Shepherds spent their night on the different dimension. They cheered at the sight of the gemstone on the Binding Shield, their hardest accomplishment and their friends' return. The blonde swordsman even danced like he had forgotten how to stand still to the sounds of Brady's violin. It was a fine ending to their struggle.

"Four down, one last to go…"

* * *

**Fire Emblem: The Man That Never Was  
**_Chapter 16: The Last Taguel_

* * *

**A/N (Author's Note):** (-)

Replies to recent reviews:

-Fregler-: Hey there! Thank you for the review. Happy to hear! :) I'll try my best to preserve that. 

As always, thanks for reading and until next time, please have yourselves a darn good one ;D

* * *

_J.D. King_

_Dedicated to some friends, who without them I wouldn't be the person and writer I am today._


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